Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Traveling Light?

Volume 7, Issue 48

Hello All,

Vanessa hurt her back this week. We’ve got Josiah today to give her some rest time.
~~~~~
Pastor Terry and I got to visit with Sandy, Quinton and Ryan Riggins this week. My life is richer for knowing them.
~~~~~
Thursday, we enjoyed the Christmas Parade and I had the privilege of attending an appreciation dinner for local Office of Emergency Management and Red Cross Volunteers. We all had a great time.
~~~~~
We’re still rounding up letters of support for Dr. Pat Antoon through December 10. These letters will be submitted to the U.S. District Court in Dallas prior to his sentencing hearing following his conviction for health care fraud. Letters may be addressed to the Honorable Judge Jorge A. Solis, and mailed locally to 1050 Columbia 36, Magnolia, AR. 71753, or dropped off at Magnolia Christian Center by November 30. We’re writing one and, if you know Dr. Pat, I hope you will to.
~~~~~
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.
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.
~~~~~
We’re looking to get new TV cameras and a “non linear” editing system at Magnolia Christian Center. There are sure a lot of choices out there.
~~~~~
If you get a chance to hook up with a wireless connection from Magnolia Internet Service, GET IT. We’re not gonna be able to go back to dial-up.
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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. $2.129 $2.261 $2.343 $2.586
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
Annette paid $1.94 in Shreveport today.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - Brussels Sprouts in Cheese Sauce - courtesy Family Circle Magazine


Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings



1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1-tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-cup milk, warmed
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4-teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch cayenne


Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place Brussels sprouts in saucepan with enough water to cover. Add juice. Simmer, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in flour; cook 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.

Transfer Brussels sprouts to a 1-quart casserole. Pour sauce over top. Bake in for 20 minutes or until heated through.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_25004,00.html
~~~~~
Pastor Terry shared this site with us. BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS. Take a look at it here:
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=1689

The article was on Bruce Willis and Michael Yon. The site is great. We'll be going back here often.
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

Ma Ma, Who’s My Pa?
When Daddy’s Name is ‘Donor’

December 2, 2005

As Christmas shopping begins in earnest, you may feel stressed thinking of your family. But if you think that’s hard, imagine what it would be like if you did not even know their names. That’s exactly what many young people face all year long, thanks to a “lifestyle” choice that ignores how life really works.

The people I am talking about were conceived through donor insemination. Unlike most unwed mothers, their mothers, “single women and lesbian couples,” deliberately chose to have their children outside of marriage.

To avoid the complications that would arise from knowing the identity of the father, they turned to sperm banks. And while this anonymity might have freed mom from unwanted complications, it created havoc for the kids. Lesbian parents apparently were clueless, believing that their kids would be happy with this arrangement, which is one reason an alternate lifestyle company markets T-shirts with “My Dad’s Name Is Donor” written on it.

Well, as a recent article in the New York Times points out, things are not working out. Mothers may regard the men as mere sperm donors, but some of their kids had another name for them: “my father.” And as the first large group of children conceived through donor insemination enters its teen years, they are increasingly hungry to know their origins, their genetic history, where they came from.

Given the way sperm banks operate, it’s next-to-impossible for kids to find out, though they may get as far as “Daddy was Donor 150.” But this meager information is enough for them to learn about the next-best thing: their siblings.

A cottage industry has, thus, arisen to help connect kids with their half-siblings. Meetings between these young people often produce emotional connections.

One of the kids profiled told the Times, connecting with her half-sister helped “salve” the anger she felt at being lied to about the circumstances of her birth. Both she and her half-sister described comparing male strangers they encountered against what little they knew about their own biological father. What incredible confusion for kids!

But the mothers of these children assume that what’s good for their emotional well-being is good for their kids’. As long as they have a mom (or two) and their material needs are met, kids don’t need a father, or siblings, for that matter.

Well, that kind of rationalizing denies the obvious: Kids need a sense of connection to something larger than themselves. And fathers and siblings are a vital part of that connection. Who of us has not wondered about our ancestors and where our families came from? Now imagine being told that these questions were completely out-of-bounds. You would feel cheated.

What’s really “irrational” about all this is the belief that these yearnings and desires would not surface; and that because adults decided to “redefine” parenthood and family in a way that suited them—like gay “marriage”—their kids would feel no sense of loss.

Sadly, this kind of blindness is all too common in our society today. The fact is, there is a natural created order, and wisdom in life is figuring out how it works and conforming your life accordingly. To rebel against it is not just sin, it’s dumb, because people get hurt—in this case, tragically, innocent kids.

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For further reading and information:
Today’s BreakPoint offer: With The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe coming out this month, what better time to get unsaved friends and loved ones C. S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity? Get a bulk supply (25 for a donation of $100, or 50 for a donation of $200)—a great ministry opportunity for churches and Bible studies! Call 1-877-322-5527.

Amy Harmon, “Hello, I’m Your Sister. Our Father Is Donor 150,” New York Times, 20 November 2005. (Published in the Lakeland, Florida, Ledger.)

Here’s that T-shirt with “My Daddy’s Name Is Donor” on it.

Rob Stein, “Found on the Web, With DNA: A Boy’s Father,” Washington Post, 13 November 2005, A09.

Michael Leahy, “Family Vacation: Why Would Raechel McGhee Fly Her Two Beloved Children Across the Country to Stay with a Man They Had Never Met? Because He Is Their Father,” Washington Post Magazine, 19 June 2005, W12. See Leahy’s online chat about this article.

Alison Motluk, “Anonymous Sperm Donor Traced on Internet,” New Scientist, 3 November 2005.

See this Washingtonian Book Club discussion with David Plotz, author of The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, 21 June 2005.

BreakPoint Commentary No. 020409, “A World of His Own: The Sad Case of Gauvin Hughes McCullough.” (Free registration required.)

BreakPoint Commentary No. 040811, “The Wisdom of Solomon: How Remaking the Family Hurts Children.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 051026, “Junk Science: Raising Boys without Men.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 051027, “Psychological Cheerleading: Raising Boys without Men.”

J. Budziszewski, What We Can’t Not Know (Spence, 2003).

Articles on the BreakPoint website are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Chuck Colson or Prison Fellowship Ministries. Links to outside articles or websites are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily imply endorsement of their content.

The BreakPoint Web site and BreakPoint WorldView Magazine feature Colson’s commentaries as well as feature articles by other established and up-and-coming writers to equip readers with a biblical perspective on a variety of issues and topics.
© 2004 Prison Fellowship.
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
alfresco: outdoors; outdoor.
redivivus: living again; revived; restored.
bivouac: a usually temporary encampment; also, to encamp.
quidnunc: a gossip; a busybody.
lassitude: lack of vitality or energy.
billet-doux: a love letter.
wheedle: to entice by flattery.
from Dictionary.Com


~~~~~
"Where love rules, there is no will to power; where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other." - Carl Gustav Jung

"When I had youth I had no money; now I have the money I have no time; and when I get the time, if I ever do, I shall have no health to enjoy life. I suppose it’s the discipline I need; but it’s rather hard to love the things I do, and see them go by because duty chains me to my galley. If I ever come into port with all sails set, that will be my reward perhaps." - Louisa May Alcott

"Every person takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world." - Arthur Schopenhauer

"I believe in an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out." - Arthur Hays Sulzberger

"Don't think of retiring from the world until the world will be sorry that you retire. I hate a fellow whom pride or cowardice or laziness drives into a corner, and who does nothing when he is there but sit and growl. Let him come out as I do, and bark." - Samuel Johnson

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." - Charles Caleb Colton

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." - Helen Keller

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." - Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English Philosopher, Essayist, Statesman
~~~~~
Christmas and Candlelight in Old Washington - December 3, 2005
Historic Buildings Decorated with Natural Holiday Style, Special Daylight Tours 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., Candlelight Tours 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Surrey Rides available at Candle Shop, Music in Historic Churches and 1940 WPA Gym 5 p.m. - 8 p.m, Contact Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives
870-983-2633 for more information

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GCF: Traveling Light?

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

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

A porter loaded down with suitcases followed the couple to the airline check-in counter.

As they approached the line, the husband glanced at the pile of luggage and said to the wife, "Why didn't you bring the piano, too?"

"Are you trying to be funny?" she replied.

"No, I really wish you had" he sighed. "I left the tickets on it."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Painting the Living Room

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

I'd been hired to paint a woman's living room, but every time I put another coat of paint on the walls, my client changed her mind about the color. After the third time, it still wasn't right. So back to the paint store I went.

As I painted the fourth coat on, she commented, "It seems like you're painting faster."

I replied, "No, the room's actually gotten smaller."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: What Were Those Things?

Found at The Shark Tank (Computerworld) -Tom http://www.computerworld.com/departments/opinions/sharktank/0,4885,103715,00.html
---------------------------------

As a computer technician, I had just finished a big push, and finally had a little slack time. So I decided to catch up on a small but long-overdue task: copying archived files from some old floppy disks to CD's.

There were several dozen 5-1/4-inch disks piled up on my desk. I was busily working my way through these when the new, young IT student came up to me and put some object right down in the middle of my desk.

"Guess what this is?" the student asked.

I like interesting gadgets so I picked it up to look at it. It's a heavy 4-inch cube, apparently made of solid metal, with a large rod sticking out one side.

"I don't know," I said. "Tell me."

"It's a neodymium magnet. The world's most powerful magnet," student said. "It uses rare metals. Look, you can actually switch it on and off just by moving the rod, which combines the metals."

Before I could say anything, the student moved the switch. The magnet stuck tight to the metal surface of the desk, which the student demonstrated by trying to pull it off the desk with both hands.

He finally got it loose. But by then I'm staring in horror. The monitor on my desk has turned all the colors of the rainbow due to him waving this big magnet about. I shouted at him to take it away from me!

But it was too late. Most of the old floppies were wiped or badly corrupted.

The student had never seen 5-1/4-inch floppies before, so he didn't realize what they were. It took me a month to recover as much as possible with a disk editor.

I did have a laugh, though. The magnet had also wiped all of the magnetic strips on the student's credit cards.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Allergies

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

A little girl was wearing one of those Medical Alert bracelets. Someone asked her what the bracelet was for. She replied, "I'm allergic to nuts and eggs."

The person asked, "Are you allergic to cats?"

The girl said, "I don't know. I don't eat cats."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Thanksgiving in the UK

From the GCF Archives
(One more before we close the topic of Thanksgiving)
---------------------------------

A few years ago, an American and a British journalist were discussing Thanksgiving on a British radio program. The American asked if Thanksgiving was celebrated in the UK.

"Yes," the British journalist replied, "but we celebrate it on the 6th of September."

"Why then?"

"That's when you chaps left."
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / There is nothing more permanent \ /
\ _/ than a temporary tax. \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / If a man speaks in a forest \ /
\ _/ and no one hears him, \_ /
/ / is he still wrong? \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I would give my right arm \ /
\ _/ to be ambidextrous! \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / My memory's not as sharp \ \_/ ////
\ / as it used to be. \ /
\ _/ Also, my memory's not as sharp \_ /
/ / as it used to be. \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Wisdom has two parts: \ /
\ _/ 1) Having a lot to say. \_ /
/ / 2) Not saying it. \ _ ____________________________ _
/ )| 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] The Inheritance

Still living at home, bored, and expecting to inherit a fortune when his sickly widower father died, Robert decided he needed a woman to keep him company.

So he went to a singles bar, and he searched until he spotted a woman whose beauty took his breath away. "Right now, I'm just an ordinary man," he said as he walked up to her, "but within a month or two, my father will pass away and I'll inherit over 20 million dollars." The woman went home with Robert that night.

And four days later, she became his stepmother.

Some men never learn...

Received from Kenneth Thomas.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Musical Sticks

A musical director was having a lot of trouble with one drummer. He talked and talked and talked with the drummer, but his performance simply didn't improve.

Finally, before the whole orchestra, he said, "When a musician just can't handle his instrument and doesn't improve when given help, they take away the instrument, give him two sticks, and make him a drummer."

A stage whisper was heard from the percussion section: "And if he can't handle even that, they take away one of his sticks and make him a conductor."

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Beginning School

Tommy had reached school age. His mother managed with a blast of propaganda to make him enthusiastic about the idea. She bought him lots of new clothes, told him of the new friends he'd meet, and so on.

When the first day came, Tommy eagerly went off and came back home with a lot of glowing reports about school.

The next morning when his mother woke him up, he asked, "What for?" She told him it was time to get ready for school.

"What? Again?" he asked.

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
– NEW! Go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20050124 to rate this funny from 0 to 5.
-=+=-
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List "A cheerful heart is good medicine!" (Prov 17:22a) Go to http://gcfl.net/mlfrontend.php to change your subscription options or unsubscribe. To email this funny to a friend, go to http://gcfl.net/emailit.php?funny=20050107 The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://gcfl.net/latest.php
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When I read the story below, it immediately made me think of a few special people. And I decided to send this story along to them (sorry about that). Sam

The Bathtub

During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a room with or without a view?"

Thanks to Sam Boggs
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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

Daddy's Trick

The little boy greeted his grandmother with a hug and said,

"I'm so happy to see you grandma. Now maybe daddy will do the trick he has been promising us."

The grandmother was curious. "What trick is that my dear," she asked.

The little boy replied, "I heard daddy tell mommy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit us again."

(-:][:-)

Needled

At a naval barracks the enlisted men were being given their shots prior to going overseas. One lad, having received his whole series of injections, asked for a glass of water.

"What's the matter, Mate?" asked the sick bay attendant. "Do you feel light-headed?"

"No, just checking to see if I'm still watertight."

(-:][:-)

Understanding Art

Liz goes to her first show at an art gallery and is looking at the paintings. One is a huge canvas that has black with yellow blobs of paint splattered all over it. The next painting is a murky gray color that has drips of purple paint streaked across it.

Liz walks over to the artist and says, "I don't understand your paintings."

"I paint what I feel inside me," explains the artist.

"Have you ever tried Alka-Seltzer?"

(-:][:-)

Athletics Anonymous

These days, with all the emphasis on one's physical fitness, a new organization has sprung up called "Athletics Anonymous."

When you get the urge to play golf, tennis, go power-walking or bicycle riding (or anything else involving a type of physical activity), they send someone over to watch TV with you until the urge passes.

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

(-:][:-)

Medical Alert

A little girl was wearing one of those Medical Alert bracelets. Someone asked her what the bracelet was for. She replied, "I'm allergic to nuts and eggs."

The person asked, "Are you allergic to cats?"

The girl said, "I don't know. I don't eat cats."

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

"Eye Laugh"

"Choosing Mix-up"

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=167

"Cat View"

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=187

Frozen Assets
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=189

Tall Cheer
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=190

Time to Call
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=191

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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/redcars.html - - Drivers Who Make Me See Red "I probably shouldn't admit this, but I'm prejudiced against people who drive red cars. Yes, I know -- bias is bad, and I'm very ashamed. But in my defense, let me add that RED CAR DRIVERS ARE LUNATICS..."
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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10 Things Archive - - http://www.smartmoney.com/10things/index.cfm?story=archive - - Archive of popular '10 Things' columns from Smart Money magazine. For example: 10 Things Your Cosmetic Surgeon Won't Tell You, 10 Things Your Preschool Won't Tell You, 10 Things Your Cleaning Service Won't Tell You, 10 Things Your Attorney Won't Tell You, and much more.
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Answers at Ace - - http://www.acehardware.com/infodept/index.jsp?categoryId=1261836 - - Welcome to Ace's project area. There are many things you can do to repair or just improve your home. You can find answers as well as the products you need to complete your everyday project at Ace. This is brought to you by the National Retail Hardware Association.
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TerraFly - - http://terrafly.fiu.edu/ - - TerraFly changes the way you view your world. Simply enter an address, and this site will put you at the controls of a bird's view aerial imagery to explore your digital earth. Site offers a helpful Frequently Asked Questions page. Related sites: GlobeXplorer - http://www.globexplorer.com/ - / Google Maps - http://maps.google.com/ - / Space Imaging - http://www.spaceimaging.com/gallery/default.htm - / TerraServer - http://terraserver.microsoft.com/.
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Cybertimes Navigator - - http://tech.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/cybertimesnavigator/index.html - - For more than 10 years, the Newsroom Navigator has been used by New York Times reporters and editors as the starting point for their forays onto the Web. Its primary intent is to give the news staff a solid starting point for a wide range of journalistic functions without forcing all of them to spend time wandering around to find a useful set of links of their own. The list is by its nature highly selective and constantly changing. Note: free registration required.
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NASA World Wind - - http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/ - - World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there. Virtually visit any place in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps, or along the African Sahara.
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Social Security Online - - http://www.ssa.gov/ - - This is the official Website of the U. S. Social Security Administration.
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Your Access to Free Credit Reports - - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm - - Beginning September 1, 2005, free reports will be accessible to all Americans, regardless of where they live. A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation's consumer reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies.
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|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 29, 2005
SCAN with Emphasis on Consider

Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Ron Zumstein, VP, HS&E

Hopefully, we have all become accustomed to utilizing the Survey, Consider, Act, Notify (SCAN) process as a tool to make our lives safer. I believe the most challenging element of the SCAN process is the Consider piece. For us to Consider, we must think. I can testify that I have had my issues with Consider over the years:

I did not Consider that the ashes in my fireplace might still be hot when I placed them into a paper bag during clean-out. Even through the fire had been out two days, there was enough heat to catch the bag on fire. The burn mark on the carpet was left as a reminder. I did not Consider that I should make sure the cross traffic stopped when the light turned red. As I pulled through the intersection when the light turned green, the truck that ran the red light crashed into the side of my car. Fortunately, I was not injured but the memory of the truck crashing into my door is a constant reminder when I drive today.
I did not Consider that the wrench would slip as I pulled hard to loosen a bolt. My bruised knuckles were a painful reminder.

There are certainly many other times that I did not Consider.

Today, I try to take more time to Consider what could happen and take steps to eliminate the hazards. Experience, those painful reminders, helps me Consider. The challenge is to Consider without having to learn from experience.

So, I encourage you to use SCAN and put extra effort in the Consider piece before you make a move.

Ron

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 29, 2005
FALL DRIVING TIPS

Autumn leaves drift by the window and right into the street. Driving in the fall presents its own colorful set of problems. Decreasing daylight and wet leaves create challenges for the unsuspecting driver.

Patches of fallen leaves can be just as treacherous as patches of ice. Fallen leaves retain large amounts of water and can create a slippery surface. Drive slowly through them and avoid hard or panic braking.

Fall brings the first frost. Be aware of slippery conditions that occur with frost. At freezing or near freezing temperatures, the moisture on bridges and overpasses will become ice much more quickly than the approach roadway. The roadways hold heat and the bridges do not; you can go from wet roadway to ice in just a fraction of a second.

School buses are as common in the fall as dandelions in the spring. Be particularly careful around them. Your responsibility in the presence of a bus with an extended stop arm and flashing red lights is to stop and remain stopped until the warnings are withdrawn, regardless of your direction of travel. The only time a driver is not required to stop when approaching the front of the school bus is if the bus and the vehicle are on separated roadways.

Frost, sunshine, wet leaves on the road, school buses, and kids horsing around on the way to school can be a disaster if they come together at the wrong time. Please recognize the hazard and drive accordingly.

Fall weather can present challenges to drivers. Rain, fog, sleet and wet snow require full driver attention. Remember the "two-second rule" when following other drivers, and in severe weather increase your following distance. If you are being tailgated, let the other driver pass.

As you know, the sun rises later and sets earlier as fall approaches. Your commute to and from work may find you driving directly into the sun. Fall driving can be beautiful but glare can also make it dangerous. Be sure your windows are clean, inside and out, and have sunglasses handy. When you lower your visor, push it all the way forward, then pull it back to the proper position don’t leave the edge of the visor inches from the bridge of your nose where it could cause injury in a crash. If you're driving away from a low sun, glare will not be a problem for you, but it can be for the drivers approaching from the other direction. It may help to use your low beam headlights, allowing you to be seen more readily.

The decreasing daylight may also mean that some drivers will be commuting in twilight or dark conditions. A driver's vision, including depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision, is compromised in darkened conditions. Diminished visual ability, brought about by the natural aging process, leaves the older driver more vulnerable to night driving hazards. The human body becomes more relaxed and less alert in the dark, becoming more easily lulled and drowsy. However, there are ways to minimize the hazards associated with driving in the dark:

Prepare your eyes for night driving. When you step out of a brightly lit building into a darkened environment it takes anywhere between two and five minutes for your eyes to begin adjusting to the change in light conditions and it takes a full 30 minutes to fully adjust. Allow your eyes that little extra time to adjust before driving into the dark.

Make sure your headlights, tail lights and turn signals are all working properly. Turn your headlights on as soon as the light begins to fade. Always use low beams when traveling in foggy conditions  the light of your high beams will simply be reflected off the moisture in the air right back at you.

Check the aim of your headlights. Badly aimed headlights reduce the distance you can see and possibly blind oncoming drivers. If you think your headlights are not aimed properly have them adjusted. You can adjust them yourself by checking them against a blank, flat surface while parked on a level driveway, or take them to a professional.

Common sense along with the basics of safe driving (always wearing a safety belt, driving alert and sober, and driving at safe and legal speeds) can help you travel safely in the fall.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 18, 2005
Tragedy on Goodwood

This week a father of two young boys was killed in a car accident on Goodwood at Audubon. He was on his way to pick his sons up from after school care. He was very active in their lives and was the 1st grade boy's soccer and basketball coach. My son Michael was on both teams and really enjoyed playing for him. I can't believe that he is gone.

The sad thing is that given the increased traffic and congestion in Baton Rouge following Katrina, accidents are increasing. This one was due to a speeding motorist using a road through a residential area as a cut through. This was not the first fatal accident in the area and I am afraid it won't be the last.

I get very frazzled like everyone around here with traffic. I know you have all heard this before but please humor me.

1. Don't race off when the light turns green at an intersection. In the past two days, I have counted 7 people running lights all over town, including right here at 4th and Florida. Count to 3 and cautiously enter the intersection.
2. Don't tailgate especially behind large trucks. You can't see if the signal changes.
3. Don't rubber neck at accidents. On Florida Street yesterday, there was an accident with a police motorcycle. People looking at the accident almost ran into each other.

Take a deep breath and try to take your time around here. Don't become another statistic.

Dr. Niomi Krzystowczyk
Corporate Risk Manager
Albemarle Corporation

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 22, 2005
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Bayne Haigler.

Here are some ideas on how to handle a turkey from the time that it is bought until the time you store the leftovers.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Cool it
Place turkey in the refrigerator or freezer immediately. DO NOT re-freeze poultry that has previously been frozen.

Thaw it
Never thaw frozen turkey at room temperature. Leave turkey in original package and follow either of the these methods;
Refrigerator Method: Place turkey on a tray in your refrigerator. Allow five(5) hours per pound or 10 hours per kilogram for thawing process.
Cold water Method: In a large container cover turkey completely with cold water. Change water every hour. Allow one hour per pound for thawing process.
Note: If you have purchased a frozen, pre-stuffed turkey, DO NOT THAW! Cook from frozen state and check product label for further instructions.

Clean it
Remove neck and giblets from body cavity. Rinse inside and out with cold water. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Always wash hands thoroughly in hot soapy water before handling raw meats and preparing foods.

Cook it
The center of meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear.
When baking, set oven no lower than 325 degrees F or 160 degrees C.
After cooking, refrigerate leftovers. Separate into small portions for fast cooking. To reheat all leftovers, cover and heat until hot and steaming throughout.

Store it
Fresh: when storing fresh turkey, remove giblets and refrigerate in a covered container for use within two days.
Frozen: whole turkeys can be kept frozen for one year, parts for six months. Once the bird is thawed, treat as a fresh turkey and do not refreeze until cooked.
Cooked: Cooked turkey products may be stored in a covered container, plastic bag or aluminum foil for up to four days in the refrigerator, or up to three months in the freezer.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 21, 2005
Driving In the Rain

Losing control of your car on wet pavement is a frightening experience. Unfortunately, it can happen unless you take preventive measures.

You can prevent skids by driving slowly and carefully, especially on curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. When you need to stop or slow, do not brake hard or lock the wheels and risk a skid. Maintain mild pressure on the brake pedal.

If you do find yourself in a skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. For cars without anti-lock brakes, avoid using your brakes. This procedure, known as "steering into the skid," will bring the back end of your car in line with the front. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you "steer into the skid."

While skids on wet pavement may be frightening, hydroplaning is completely nerve-wracking. Hydroplaning happens when the water in front of your tires builds up faster than your car's weight can push it out of the way. The water pressure causes your car to rise up and slide on a thin layer of water between your tires and the road. At this point, your car can be completely out of contact with the road, and you are in danger of skidding or drifting out of your lane, or even off the road.

To avoid hydroplaning, keep your tires properly inflated, maintain good tread on your tires and replace them when necessary, slow down when roads are wet, and stay away from puddles. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you.

If you find yourself hydroplaning, do not brake or turn suddenly. This could throw your car into a skid. Ease your foot off the gas until the car slows and you can feel the road again. If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping actions. If your car has anti-lock brakes, then brake normally; the car's computer will mimic a pumping action, when necessary.

A defensive driver adjusts his or her speed to the wet road conditions in time to avoid having to use any of these measures!

http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/autorain.htm

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 18, 2005

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

Ten new off-the-beaten-path, off-the-job safety and health tips:

#1--Before putting dry-cleaned clothing in your closet, remove it from the plastic bags and hang it up outside for a few hours. This allows gases from the cleaning chemicals to disperse more quickly than in your closet.

#2--Infections from hot tubs are becoming more common because of a bacterium that thrives in the wood of which some are made. The germ causes a skin rash and other infections that are painful but treatable. Prevention: Put larger-than-normal amounts of chlorine in the water. Better: A vinyl liner in the tub. Source: Center for Disease Control, Atlanta

#3--Inspect electrical toys carefully when you buy them--and periodically afterward for frayed or broken cords, and bad connections.

#4--Especially when you are doing a lot of cooking, keep your kitchen well ventilated. Cooking produces steam, which can make floors slippery.

#5--Keep a set of house keys on your bedside table or in an easy-to-reach, familiar place. When sleeping, your shoes and a robe should also be easily available in the event of a quick exit (such as in case of fire). This is also a good practice when staying in a hotel.

#6--Change your furnace filters frequently--at least once per month during peak heating or (if you have central air) cooling seasons. Each time you change the filter, inspect the vent area for clues such as rust or scale. If you note rust, call a service person.

#7--Before you take off for the first time in a rental car, check the following: seatbelts, all lights and flashers, all the doors, the "electrics" (windshield wipers, etc.), the brakes and all the necessary documentation.

#8--Avoid placing a pressure cooker or hot pot under a window or next to a door. It would be easy to burn yourself reaching across to open the window and pots could be knocked when coming through the door. You may not do this normally, but when cooking for company, it's common for people to place pots and such in unusual and dangerous places.

#9--When you go to a restaurant, theater, cinema or nightclub, make sure you know where the exits are and work out the easiest routes to them. If there should be a need to get out quickly it could save precious moments and possibly your life. It only takes a moment as you go in and settle down-once you get into the habit it will become automatic wherever you go.

#10--You may be tough and have always been able to handle any flu bug that has bitten you. However, if diarrhea persists for a week or more, you MUST seek medial attention--no matter how tough you are. It may be a sign of something much more severe than the flu.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 16, 2005

I can't remember if this has ever been posted...it's a good thing to know. My father suffered a severe stroke and has never been the same. Had he (or us, for that matter) seen the warning signs, maybe life would be different for him today.

During a BBQ a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6 pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ - had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

Recognizing a Stroke

----- A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and getting to the patient within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . it is sunny out today)

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

The warning signs of a stroke are:
a.. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
b.. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding.
c.. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
d.. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
e.. Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
Stairway to Heaven
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Dale Mann.

At Albemarle Corporation hearing studies are done so that employees won't suffer from hearing damage. Signs are posted, etc. when hearing protection is needed in high noise areas. I want to relay an experience, which occurred while I was in the Navy in '73 to show how long-term hearing can be effected by not using prescribed hearing protection .

My General Quarters battle station on the USS Bainbridge was as a number one loader on the 3x50's. You had to climb up on the gun mounts and you stood with your back to another person's in between 2 guns with 2 other people on the outside of each gun loading shells into the chamber. All four number one loaders would be putting shells into the chamber at a time, which caused the guns to act like an automatic, you could put out a steady stream of fire.

I received OJT for this duty which consisted of climb your behind up there, load the shells into the chamber, don't stop until instructed and don't drop any shells or you'll send us all to glory. That was all the detail I needed and I was fully trained. The first time I did this my ears were ringing after we got through firing and I couldn't hardly hear for awhile. I asked the old crusty Chief Boatswain's Mate about needing hearing protection. He asked me if I was crazy, that is what the cigarette butts were used for. I told him I supposed I was just born fool like that and so from then on used this trick of the trade every time we fired the guns.

You get a complete physical when you get out of the service. At this time it was discovered that I had high pitch hearing loss. The Dr said likely what occurred was listening to loud music, etc. in bars from Olongapo City to Tijuana. I told him right, I was listening to Led Zeppelin playing "Black Dog" while I was climbing the "Stairway to Heaven" to the gun mounts.

Hearing loss of any sort can affect your quality of life. If you like to sing and show off when you get slightly intoxicated, you can't really hit the high notes without hearing well. And I suppose other things could be affected by inability to hear correctly.

WEAR HEARING PROTECTION

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 15, 2005
Blinded by the Sun

This was written by a man in New Mexico, but it could have been written by many of us here in South Carolina who are fighting the glaring sun almost every day driving to and from work.

Dorothy

I was driving home on New Mexico Highway 47 just where it crosses over Interstate 25. The overpass angled up, then curved gently to the left--straight into the rays of the afternoon winter sun. I slowed down and tried to shield my eyes, but I was almost completely blinded. I couldn't have seen an 18-wheeler stopped ahead of me in the road, much less an automobile. If there was an accident ahead or if someone suddenly slowed down, I'd never know it until it was too late.

That got my attention and started me thinking about the need, for safety's sake, to wear effective, glare-reducing sunglasses when driving. In areas where the sunlight is very bright or when drivers have to look directly into the glare of the rising or setting sun, this is a valid safety concern, according to a local optician, Richard Serna.

But, I wondered, would the inexpensive sunglasses typically sold for $5 to $10 at the local drugstore do the job? Not really, according to Serna. He explained that to be effective, driving sunglasses must have features not found on drug or discount store "cheapies."

"What you really need is a sunglass with an anti-reflective coating," Serna said. He explained the coating is made up of layers of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide applied to the back of the lens. The coating dramatically reduces both the glare and reflected light seen by the wearer. The "cheapie" sunglasses don't come with anti-reflective coating, according to Serna. "They are just stamped-out acrylic lenses which have a lot of aberrations (visual irregularities) in them. They may have a dark tint and they may be UV coated, but the eye has to fight to see through the flaws."

Of course, the most annoying glare comes through your windshield and directly into your eyes. Because of that, good driving sunglasses should also have polarized lenses, according to Serna.

A good pair of driving sunglasses can also protect against other hazards. By screening out much of the sun's ultraviolet rays, sunglasses can reduce eye fatigue for drivers, Serna said. In addition, there is the long-term health problem of cataracts, a very real threat to people who live where the sunlight is especially bright, Serna added.

What about drivers who wear prescription lenses such as bifocals in order to see things up close like the dashboard and also at longer distances down the road? There are two inexpensive options for such drivers, according to Serna. These are clip-ons--which attach to the front of the wearer's normal eyeglass frame, and slip-overs--which slip over the top of the frame and wrap around behind the normal lenses. In addition, Serna added, some custom eyeglass frames are designed to accept clip-ons which precisely match the shape of the lens. Although a bit more expensive than the clip-ons and slip-overs, these add very little bulk to the wearer's normal glasses. Serna added that clip-ons and slip-behinds suffer from visual imperfections much like inexpensive sunglasses. However, matched with an anti-reflective coating on the wearer's regular glasses, they provide anti-glare protection for drivers who need to wear corrective lenses to drive safely.

So what are you going to pay for quality driving sunglasses? That depends on your budget. Whatever the price, being able to see through the glare beats being "blinded by the light."
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 11, Number 27 --- 01 December 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html
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TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S): 2005 T.O.Y. Awards

Howdy, y'all, and happy December from deep behind the orange curtain in beautiful Irvine, California.

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Today's post is a completely updated version of a post we sent out last Thanksgiving. Hopefully, the links in today's post will save you some time and money this holiday season.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Family Fun 2005 T.O.Y. Awards
Audience: Everyone who will be buying toys in the next few weeks
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When I was kid, I really wanted a green "Stretch Monster" toy [see http://tinyurl.com/6zyve ]. Or at least I *thought* I wanted a Stretch Monster. Those commercials that aired during Uncle Zeb's Cartoon Camp on KTUL-TV in Tulsa made Stretch Monster look so COOL. I mean, it was a green monster. And it STRETCHED!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a Stretch Monster for Christmas. Instead, my parents gave me a children's citizens band radio base station. [It was the 1970's. Deal with it.] Terribly disappointed, I ended up trading my CB radio to a friend for his Stretch Monster.

It was possibly the worst trade of my life. The novelty of the Stretch Monster wore off within a day, and he/it was quickly thrown into my toy chest where he/it slowly dripped red ooze over all of my other discarded toys.

If you have the riches of Bill Gates, buying your children toys that lose their appeal within 24 hours is fine. But with normal, non- Gates-ian family budgets stretched to the breaking point, how can you ensure the toys you buy this holiday season are truly great playthings and not just Stretch Monster-esque television hype?

Well, each year Family Fun magazine holds a Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) competition. This year, the magazine's writers collected 520 brand new toys from 170 different manufacturers, dropped the toys in front of 130 elementary school kids in Kennebunk, Maine, and then seriously reconsidered their career choices. [As a wise man once said, "And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's *one* thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!"]

Anyway, after destroying as many of the toys as is humanly possible, the kids in Kennebunk narrowed down the field of 520 toys to only 63 finalists, the toys the kids wanted to take home with them. And that's when the fun began. The 63 finalist toys were sent to 17 different KinderCare facilities around the United States where 1,275 children spent a combined total of 30,000 hours of play time hitting each other over the head with assorted Tonka trucks.

At the end of the play testing/pummeling, each child voted privately for their absolute favorite toys. The results were compiled by Digital Research on behalf of Family Fun magazine. Oh, and the KinderCare centers got to keep all of the toys as a thank you.

Long story short: The toys on the 2005 T.O.Y. awards list are literally the best of the best, the toys your kids WILL want to play with well after you take down the holiday decorations. For a complete list of this year's winners, just point your favorite web browser to

http://tinyurl.com/8m89v

The T.O.Y. Awards themselves are pretty self-explanatory, and the layout of the Awards site hasn't changed much since we first visited it back in 2001. There are two dozen award categories that cover both the type of toy and the age group for which that toy was designed. Click on any of the award-winning toys and you are taken to a page that shows you

- A picture of that particular toy;
- The toy's manufacturer and suggested US retail price;
- A one-paragraph description of what makes that toy so cool; and
- Either a telephone number you can call, or a link you can click, to locate a store in your area that carries that particular toy.

Neat, huh? Best of all, this year's Awards page also includes a list of this year's best family-friendly video games at

http://tinyurl.com/czbcg

The reason why Tourbus keeps coming back to the Family Fun magazine T.O.Y. Awards year after year is that it is hands-down the best, most up-to-date toy buying guide around. If you are looking for a toy that your kids will play with long after the holiday season is over, check out Family Fun's toy list before you even THINK about bravely venturing into the eternal nightmare that is a toy store during the holiday shopping season.

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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.

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==[ 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
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.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) 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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A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't Have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your a! angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now; please tell me my angel's name."

"You will simply call her, "Mom."

Thanks to Trina Montgomery
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Prayer Alert: U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case on Parental Notification
Steven H. Aden / Aimee Herd reporting (Dec 1, 2005)

Oral arguments began yesterday in an important case involving a New Hampshire law that requires young women to notify their parents prior to obtaining an abortion.

The constitutionality of the law is being challenged by Planned Parenthood. Defending the law is the Christian Legal Society (CLS), along with the Alliance Defense Fund, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Christian Medical Association, the Catholic Medical Association, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Concerned Women for America.

According to a press release on the Christian Wire Service , the brief filed by the CLS "sets forth medical evidence refuting Planned Parenthood's contention that young girls must obtain immediate abortions whenever acute medical complications occur during pregnancy. The brief demonstrates that abortion can pose a greater risk to a young mother's health than continuing the pregnancy."

Steven H. Aden, Chief Litigation Counsel of CLS said, "New Hampshire's statute properly balances the role of parents, the best interests of young girls and appropriate medical considerations."

http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=1729

More...
http://www.earnedmedia.org/cls1130.htm
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A "Huge Victory for Religious Liberty Everywhere" - Swedish Pastor Acquitted of Hate-Speech Charge
WND Staff / Teresa Neumann Reporting (Nov 30, 2005)

"Ake Green is a hero, and we are grateful for his stand and his perseverance."

The Swedish Supreme Court has acquitted Pentecostal minister Ake Green of charges he violated the nation's hate-speech laws when he labeled homosexuality a "deep cancer tumor" on society during a sermon two years ago. According to the report in WorldNetDaily, the court ruled Green was free to espouse his religious views even if they were deemed offensive by some, though prosecutors said the high court's decision will not lead to acceptance of "gay bashing."

They noted the court recognized Green's comments were made during a religious sermon and did not incite others to take harmful actions against homosexuals.

The Alliance Defence Fund, which filed friends-of-the-court briefs in support of Green, called the high court's ruling "a huge victory for religious liberty everywhere."

"As David slew Goliath, Ake Green slew the radical homosexual agenda in this case," said Benjamin Bull, ADF's chief counsel. "We can only hope this will deter other attempts to censor Christian ministers from delivering Bible-based messages against harmful homosexual conduct. Ake Green is a hero, and we are grateful for his stand and his perseverance."

In comments to Swedish Public Radio, Green reportedly said the court's ruling was vindication of his and other preachers' right to espouse what they see as the biblically correct view that homosexuality is anathema to traditional human behavior.

"This means we can continue to speak the way we have, and therefore it feels very good that they have ruled in a way that there should not be any infringement in our way of preaching," he said.

The report also quoted Supreme Court Justice Johan Munck as saying that the court was obliged to follow European Union guidelines. "We believe that it is probable that a conviction against Pastor Green would not hold up in the European Court of Justice," he said.

More...
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47633
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=1721
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Great News! Walgreen’s Says "Next Year Will Be Different"

Send A Polite Letter To Kmart/Sears Asking Them To Do The Same

Because of your efforts, Walgreen’s has released the following response: "Next year, you can be assured our advertising will better incorporate 'Christmas,' and our holiday trees will be called Christmas trees. Unfortunately, all of this year’s December ads are already printed, so it's too late to make changes for this season."

In addition, Lowe's has released a statement saying they now refer to all trees as "Christmas Trees" and have removed all signs that previously calling them "Holiday Trees."

Your actions are bringing good results! We are hearing that many retailers are re-thinking their banning Christmas. Keep up the good work!

Would you please send the enclosed polite letter to Kmart/Sears asking them to make Christmas an integral part of their promotions and advertising next year? We feel there is good reason to believe Kmart/Sears might honor your request. We will keep you informed as to their response.

Additionally, and this is very important, please forward this to your family and friends. We need as much support as we can get in this effort.

Click https://secure.afa.net/afa/afapetition/takeaction.asp?id=165 To Send Your Letter Now!
Thanks for caring enough to get involved.

Sincerely,

Don

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
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Swiffer WetJet Hoax

Claim: The Swiffer WetJet poses a general danger to dogs and other household pets.

Status: False.: So much about this anonymous message purportedly detailing the demise of someone's neighbor's dog and that neighbor's housekeeper's two cats is either wrong or unverifiable that we cannot see how it could reasonably be considered anything but false:
The message gives no information about its writer or either of the pet owners, and thus provides no avenue through which inquiries can be made to verify its contents. It appears to have been disseminated through its posting to many different dog-related newsgroups and mailing lists, always by a second-hand source who had "received it in e-mail."

The claims that the cleaning agent used with the Swiffer WetJet is "antifreeze" or "a compound which is one molecule away from" something else are quite similar to a number of other alarmist scares we've seen (such as one about margarine) and are indicative of an uninformed writer's making unwarranted assumptions.

According to P&G's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), most of the cleaning fluid used in the Swiffer WetJet system is water (somewhere between 90 and 100 percent), with propylene glycol n-propyl ether and isopropyl alcohol making up between 1 and 4 percent each, and the remainder of the solution composed of minor ingredients and
preservatives.

The two most common compounds found in antifreeze and de-icing solutions are ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. The former has been identified as posing a danger to pets, but propylene glycol is much safer than ethylene glycol — it has been classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an additive that is "generally recognized as safe" for use in food, it is found in a variety of medicines and cosmetics, and it is recommended as a safe alternative to antifreeze for pet owners. Moreover, what the Swiffer Wetjet cleaning solution contains is not propylene glycol itself, but propylene glycol n-propyl ether, an ingredient found in many, many different brands and types of household cleaning products. If this compound truly posed a significant risk of causing fatal liver damage in cats and dogs, we should be hearing about many more pet deaths associated with cleaning products other than the Swiffer WetJet.

Also note that the danger posed to pets by antifreeze (i.e., ethylene glycol) has to do kidney failure, not destruction of the liver as claimed in the message quoted above.

The warning message claims that the anonymous writer found on his WetJet packaging a warning label which stated that the product "may be harmful to small children and animals." We examined the warning labels on every Swiffer WetJet product we could find at our local stores, and none of them bore such wording. The labeling on all these products (i.e., the Swiffer WetJet Power Mop with Jet-Action Sprayer, the Wood Floor Cleaner, the Multi-Purpose Cleaner, and the Cleaning Pad Refill) was identical and read: "AVOID ACCIDENTS: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS. In case of eye contact, flush thoroughly with water. If irritation persists, call a physician." This is the standard boilerplate warning label found on virtually every household cleaning product to inform users that cleaning agents are generally caustic and may be harmful should they come into direct contact with the eye. On Swiffer products, the first line of the warning (the one referencing children and pets) was presented in block letters and in darker type than the rest of the message, all of which was listed in three languages: English, French, and Spanish.

Only the warning carried on the Antibacterial Cleaner solution was different — after an expanded caution about not getting the product into one's eyes and the procedure for flushing exposed eyes with water, it concluded, ''Contact a Poison Control Center or doctor for treatment advice. Have the product container or label with you when calling the Poison Control Center or doctor or going for treatment." Nowhere on this label was there mention of children or pets, and even the part of the warning devoted to Poison Control Centers and doctors might well have applied only to the preceding passage about getting the solution into one's eyes. No Swiffer product carried a warning cautioning users that its toxicity might pose a danger to children or pets, as suggested by the message quoted above.
On its web site, Procter and Gamble explains its Swiffer WetJet cleaning system as an all-in-one, ready-to-use mopping system. According to the entry in its "Swiffer Q&A" section devoted to the question of whether the product is safe to use around pets:
Great news for you and your pets! Swiffer Wet and Swiffer WetJet are specially designed to not leave a residue on the floor, so there's no need to rinse. We suggest you make sure the floor is completely dry before letting your pet walk on it, though, because wet floors can be slippery. Since there isn't a residue, there are no problems if your pet licks the floor.

No more worrying about the owner of those muddy paw prints. You can enjoy the convenience of our Swiffer products without any worries for your pet's safety.
In direct response to the e-mail's charge, Procter and Gamble posted a rebuttal:
There is a false Internet rumor circulating rapidly among pet owners alleging that Swiffer WetJet may contain antifreeze and is harmful to pets. The Wet cloths and WetJet liquid solution cleaners do not contain antifreeze or any ingredient similar to it. In fact, all Swiffer products are safe to use around pets.

We evaluated the Swiffer Wet cloths and WetJet cleaners to ensure they're safe — a fact confirmed by the ASPCA, independent veterinarians and scientists. In fact, for nearly five years, people in over 38 million U.S. homes have safely used Swiffer products on everything from the kitchen and living room floors to tables and ceiling fans.

We have pets too, and their health and well-being is very important to us. Please help us stop this rumor by sharing the truth with others.
The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center also issued a statement declaring this rumor to be unfounded:
Veterinary toxicologists at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center have reviewed the claim described in a widely distributed email alleging a relationship between the use of Swiffer Wet Jet and liver failure in a dog. The email alleges that exposure to the ingredients in Swiffer Wet Jet caused a dog's death.

The Swiffer Wet Jet system contains water (90-100%), propylene glycol n-propyl ether or propylene glycol n-butyl ether and isopropyl alcohol (1-4%). These ingredients are safe to use around pets when used according to label directions and would not cause liver damage at product concentrations. Propylene glycol n-butyl/propyl ether differs significantly from ethylene glycol, the potentially toxic ingredient present in most antifreeze products. Ethylene glycol is frequently implicated in causing renal failure in dogs following antifreeze ingestion. Propylene glycol n-propyl ether and propylene glycol n-butyl ether are very safe ingredients at levels used in cleaning products and do not cause kidney or liver failure.
If this warning is as unsubstantiated as it appears to be, then why did someone write it? One possibility is that most pet owners are of course quite distraught when beloved, apparently healthy animal companions die for no obvious reason, and in their grief they understandably try to make sense of the otherwise unexplainable by finding something to which the deaths can be attributed. Unfortunately, this emotional reaction often leads people to lay the blame on agents that may have only a coincidental connection to events. For example, a pet owner re-carpets his home, and a week later both his dogs suddenly die. In this circumstance, many people would quite naturally assume that the new carpeting — which draws attention as the most substantial and visible change to the household — must have been connected to the death of the dogs, but much more evidence would be necessary to draw that conclusion. Quite possibly a factor (or combination of factors) unrelated to carpeting was the cause, and the timing of the dogs' deaths was completely coincidental. Or the connection may have been tangential — perhaps after the new carpeting was installed, the residents took to removing their shoes upon entering the house; the dogs, now having convenient access to those shoes, began to chew or lick them, thereby picking up some kind of toxin or illness-causing biological agent carried in from the outside on those shoes.

Also, given this message's similarity to a different, unfounded e-mail warning about another Procter & Gamble product, Febreze, we'd have to consider the possibility that someone with a grudge against Procter & Gamble is maliciously trying to damage the company by deliberately spreading false information about their products.

Additional information: Swiffer Pet Rumor
(Procter & Gamble)
Last updated: 21 September 2005

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/swiffer.asp

Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2005
by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
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Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
Albemarle Kids' Christmas Party - Saturday, December 3, 10 am to 1 pm - SAU Skating Rink
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Albemarle Christmas Party - December 6 and December 8
~~~
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. Spc. Javier A. Villanueva, 25, of Temple, Texas, died in Al Asad, Iraq, on Nov. 24, of injuries sustained in Hit, Iraq, on Nov. 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations. Villanueva was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 24, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV causing it to flip into a canal. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army's 170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash. Killed were:
02. Staff Sgt. Steven C. Reynolds, 32, of Jordan, N.Y.
03. Spc. Marc A. Delgado, 21, of Lithia, Fla.

04. Sgt. Gregory L. Tull, 20, of Pocahontas, Iowa, died in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on Nov. 25, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Tull was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery, Storm Lake, Iowa.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq on Nov. 23, when their unit came under direct fire during combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were:
05. Staff Sgt. Aram J. Bass, 25, of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
06. Sgt. William B. Meeuwsen, 24, of Kingwood, Texas.
The circumstances of the soldiers' deaths are under investigation as a potential friendly-fire incident.

07. Sgt. 1st Class Eric P. Pearrow, 40, of Peoria, Ill., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 24, when his M1A2 Abrams tank accidentally rolled over into a canal. Pearrow was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

08. Master Sgt. Brett E. Angus, 40, of St. Paul, Minn., died Nov. 26 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the vicinity of Camp Taqaddum, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron-372, Marine Wing Support Group-37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

09. Pfc. Ryan D. Christensen, 22, of Spring Lake Heights, N.J., died at the Medical University of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 24, of a non-combat related illness identified in Balad, Iraq, on Nov. 10. Christensen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

10. Cpl. Joshua D. Snyder, 20, of Hampstead, Md., died Nov. 30 of wounds sustained from small-arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Taji, Iraq on Nov. 29, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, Fort Riley, Kan. Killed were:
11. Sgt. Donald J. Hasse, 28, of Wichita Falls, Texas.
12. Sgt. Jerry W. Mills Jr., 23, of Arkansas City, Kan.

13. Staff Sgt. William D. Richardson, 30, of Houston, Texas, died Nov. 30 of wounds sustained from a non-hostile vehicle accident near Al Taqaddum, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron-372, Marine Wing Support Group-37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

14. Sgt. 1st Class Brent A. Adams, 40, of West View, Pa., died in Ramadi, Iraq on Dec. 1, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military five-ton truck during combat operations. Adams was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Washington, Pa

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 am
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MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 am
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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.
~~~
Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
~~~
Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
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TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5 pm every Tuesday in the Magnolia Hospital break room.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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"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!!!
Jude 1:17-21 Titus 3:4-5 Neh 13:10-12 Mat 21:12-13 Psa 8:3-9
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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