Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Do You Realize...

Volume 9, Issue 17 Friday, April 27, 2007

Hello All,

So now we’re running about two months behind. But we ain’t giving up yet. There’s lots more “bleats” out there when we get time to send them.
~~~~~
From Joe Tudor, a marriage story. When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But, somehow I always had something else to take care
of first, the truck, the car, playing golf - always something more important to me.
Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I
handed her a toothbrush.
I said, "When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."

The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
~~~~~
Last Saturday Vanessa, Josiah, Felicia, Tevin, Dalecia and I attended the “Defenders of Liberty” Barksdale AFB Air Show. We meant to eat before going through the Gates but the A-10s and B-52s visible from the Interstate as they came in low on their bomb runs drew us into the base. We just couldn’t stop to eat first. As a result, we ended up paying $40 for 6 corn dogs inside the fence. But first we had to go through security where our Yukon won the lottery and was chosen to have a full body search. The kids loved that we were herded into a small containment area while dogs and security took the Yukon apart. I suspected that our fortune had something to do with the 5 bags of fertilizer Annette had left in the back of the vehicle.
Then, we were allowed to park somewhere south west of Minden (north of Hanger 10) and trek for hours across the blazing parking apron until I broke into a run (well, Super Hyper Warp 9 Mosey) when the porta potties came into sight. After a brief rest stop we lined up for our own personal body search by base Air Police. As we waited in that line, we watched the “hordes” who didn’t bring strollers and diaper bags, stream through the “express” line and pour into the air show proper.
But finally, we were through security, past the black clad “Super Ninja” security guys and we’d woofed down our $40 corndogs. We were ready to watch Special Performances by... F-15E Strike Eagle Demo, U.S. Army Black Daggers, Air Force Reserve’s Ed Hamill, C-17 Globemaster III Demo, Shockwave, Gene Soucy & Teresa Stokes, Wyche Coleman, Bill Stein, C-130, A-10, B-2, F-117, Tora 101, MiG-17, etc. Not to mention the USAF Thunderbirds.
We really did have a GREAT time. It wasn’t too awful hot and the bottles of water we’d secreted in the bottom of the stroller sustained us.
http://www.barksdaleafbairshow.com/index.html
~~~~~
Our sincere sympathy is extended to Anita McNatt in the death of her sister, Jamie Smith. Jamie is also the sister of Becky Rhoads. The family has requested memorials be made to Columbia Christian School (250 Warnock Springs Road, Magnolia, AR).
~~~~~
Our sympathy is extended to the family of Verl Harper who died on April 17. Many of you will remember Verl, longtime Brine field employee, who retired in 1995. Verl and Joan were living in Huntington, AR, where they moved when he retired.
~~~~~
Introducing Whistle Stop [http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Satellite?c=WSHomePage&cid=1158158275015&pagename=WhistleStop%2FWSHomePage%2FWhistleStop_Homepage&WT.mc_t=WSIntro_04-26-07&WT.mc_n=WSHomePageLink&WT.mc_r=14]
Amtrak has created a new community sitelet for everyone who loves train travel as much as we do. Think of it as your virtual Café Car, where you can pull up a chair and swap stories with fellow travelers. Read up on first person travelogues to see what it's like to ride the rails. If you have a fond memory of a favorite train adventure, we'd love to hear from you so we can post your story to share with other readers. Visit Whistle Stop

Riding the Rails in the Wild WestRiding the Rails in the Wild West
From Chicago to L.A. on the Southwest Chief

It was nearly midnight when I checked into my room in Chicago. In just over 12 hours I would be boarding the Southwest Chief and, in spite of a few days' research, I still couldn't envision, exactly, what to expect. Having spent more hours than I cared to count padding, stocking-footed, through airport security, and studying smoking tail pipes in bumper to bumper traffic, I was keenly interested in an alternative way to cross the country. I spent the next hour wondering about my trip on the Southwest Chief.....
~~~~~
This week’s Greetings from Michael Yon,

NBC anchor Brian Williams -- whose reports from Iraq earlier this year were spot-on -- has kindly introduced my latest dispatch about American soldiers at war on his blog [http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/2007/04/the_wednesday_l.html#below-fold] on the MSNBC news website. Please click [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/desires-of-the-human-heart-part-one.htm] for Part I of "Desires of the Human Heart." I will publish the second part soon.

I am still with our British friends in Basra. These excellent soldiers have been fighting harder than I realized. Just some hours ago, I was present when British soldiers honored three of their fallen. We were briefly attacked during the memorial ceremony, when the coffins were carefully carried onto the airplane, but the Brits did not miss a step in bestowing honors on their brethren. Please click [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/support-next-dispatch-from-iraq/] to read British

Forces at War.

At least three more installments are coming about the Brits, possibly four, depending on communications. I'm able to get more work done with the Brits due to the hefty support they offer. It’s made a tremendous difference and is another reason I will regret leaving the Brits later this week, although I have requested a return later this year.

The sad news about leaving the Brits is lightened by some very good news. I've asked our Marines fighting in Anbar province for permission to accompany them and I'll be embedding with our Marines in roughly one week.

On a final note, this site is funded by readers and your support {http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/support-next-dispatch-from-iraq/} is essential. The recent action in Basra and surrounding areas has left me with destroyed photo gear—including a lens I had just managed to replace--and a dying laptop. I appreciate the support more than I can ever adequately express.

V/R,

Michael
Basra, Iraq
~~~~~
Update from Pattie Stephenson

Hello everybody!

I'm sorry you are just now receiving this. Internet is Africa requires patience.

I flew out on Tuesday, the 17th. I didn't sleep one wink the night before and it was very emotional saying goodbye to my family. My two sisters and my mom drove me to the airport.
I had to say goodbye to my dog that morning. Even that was rough. After I checked in, I stayed out of security with my family until the latest I could. It was painful. The airport allowed me to choose one person to go through security with me, since I wouldn't see them for a long time. My mom went with me. I will treasure those few moments forever. She told me about how I wasn't supposed to be born. Because of that, she knew God had a special plan for me. She told me how proud she was that I was stepping out and doing this. We hugged and hugged and cried and cried. I thank God for these three ladies. The day before I left, they were complete servants to whatever I needed, and I know I drove them crazy. They did more for me than I deserve, but they know I would do the same for them.

I flew to Memphis and had a layover then to Detroit for a layover then to Amsterdam.......hallelujah for showers in Amsterdam........then on to Africa. God was loving me on this flight. Everyone in my section had a couple of rows each to sleep on. I was able to catch up a bit.

I had no problems in customs, no problems at all. It was so smooth, and I am so thankful. A couple from the ministry I will work with picked me up. I slept at the ministry compound that first night. I must say I almost cried myself to sleep.........but God. He is so wonderful. I know that the sacrifice I am making may be great, but if I don't obey God.......I would be miserable. No money, no fame, no material possessions can replace peace with God. Not even family and friends.

The second day, I got to visit with some of the ministry team. They are glad I'm here and look forward to working with me. We took my crates to my house and then another missionary that is friends with Missionary Pam Prince took me on a tour. She helped me with money exchange, get a cell phone, order internet, and buy groceries. She was very gracious. She and her husband are church planting trainers from the US. We ate lunch at an Indian restaurant and then I headed back to the compound. I reached my house that night at about eight o'clock. I wasn't comfortable driving yet so I was dropped off........me, the guards, two crazy dogs, and a bit of nervousness. I sprayed my bedroom with Doom mosquito spray, tucked my mosquito net in, and tried to sleep. Jet lag and all my thoughts kept me awake, but I survived my first night.

The last couple of days I have been busy unpacking and getting the house ready. I finally started driving.........I practiced on the road toward Kenya. Good thing I didn't go far! I hadn't driven a standard in twenty years, but add the fact that you are shifting with the left hand and driving on the wrong side of the road and car. I am getting better at it. Today I got lost for a while, but I found my way around finally. People, bicycles, and cars just run out in front of you. I just keep saying, "please don't let me hit a child!"

I look forward to beginning ministry. Right now we are on a break, so it is great time for me to get through homesickness and everything else before I get busy. I picked up my curriculum books for the classes I will teach in June and July.

Thank you, family and friends, for all of your support. I couldn't do what God has asked me to do without your love and support. Please keep praying for me. I need God's grace like never before.

You all mean so much to me.

Pattie
~~~~~
Washington, DC, April 24, 2007 -The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced today that CSB Safety Videos are now available on YouTube and as iTunes podcasts. The CSB also announced that the videos, agency news releases and other information are now available through RSS.

Viewers may go directly to YouTube.com and search for CSB videos or they can access the YouTube videos in the Video Room of the CSB website, csb.gov. To put the videos on an iPod, viewers may simply click on the iTunes link in the CSB Video Room, download the video they wish to view as a podcast into iTunes, and from there copy it onto an iPod.

Currently, the CSB is offering 13 safety videos on www.csb.gov. The BP Texas City refinery accident computer simulation is available in Spanish, German, French, and Korean as well as English. These videos are aimed at improving safety and hazard awareness in the processing industries. There is a video request form on the site for placing requests for these safety videos, free of charge.

In addition to the new distribution for CSB videos, the CSB has added RSS (Real Simple Syndication) capabilities to the website, enabling viewers to set up automatic feeds of CSB news releases and other information through their individualized RSS 'readers.'

To access this service, users must first set up an RSS reader from any common internet search engine. For example, a reader may establish a user account with Google Reader (www.google.com/reader). The user would then go to CSB.gov, click on the RSS icon, copy the URL, and paste it back onto the Google Reader under 'add subscription.' Each time the viewer goes to the website Google.com/reader, the latest CSB news releases will appear. CSB RSS feeds also include videos.

CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt said, 'The CSB is committed to using the latest technologies for distributing critical safety information. We believe that making CSB Safety Videos available as Podcasts and on YouTube will make the videos even more accessible and convenient to watch for key stakeholders throughout the world.'

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact: Public Affairs Specialist Kate Baumann
202-261-7612 or cell 202-725-2204
~~~~~
Here are links to items posted on The Pump Handle over the past week:

1) "New Weekly Toll Posted" by Liz Borkowski Another edition of the Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace is up, with short writeups on 117 workplace deaths.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/new-weekly-toll-posted-4/

2) "Congress asks 'is OSHA working?'" by Celeste Monforton Two Congressional committees will hold oversight hearings on OSHA.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/congress-asks-is-osha-working/

3) "Who Supports FDA User Fees?" by David Michaels Over the past few months, former FDA Commissioners, public health advocates, free market advocates, and drug manufacturers have all weighed in against continued reliance on user fees. Who continues to support them?
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/who-supports-fda-user-fees/

4) "OSHA Tries to Look Busy" by David Michaels OSHA announces a National Emphasis Program on microwave popcorn factories.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/osha-tries-to-look-busy/

5) "The Impact of OSHA Recordkeeping Regulation Changes on Occupational Injury And Illness Trends" by Lee Friedman An apparent drop in workplace injuries and illnesses is largely due to recordkeeping changes.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/the-impact-of-osha-recordkeeping-regulation-changes-on-occupational-injury-and-illness-trends/

6) "New York Times Covers OSHA Inaction on Diacetyl and Other Hazards" by David Michaels On the front page of today's New York Times, reporter Stephen Labaton highlights a trend that we've been writing about here at The Pump Handle for some time.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/new-york-times-covers-osha-inaction-on-diacetyl-and-other-hazards/

7) "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Congress is paying attention to worker health and safety; a Capitol Tunnel worker speaks out; and safety experts question the record of a Maryland mine where two workers died.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/occupational-health-news-roundup-12/

8) "Investigation Highlights Superfund's 'Toxic Legacy'" by Liz Borkowski A year-long investigation by the Center for Public Integrity found a shortage of funds and progress in the Superfund program.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/investigation-finds-superfund-delays/

9) "CDC Tells OSHA 'It's Not Just Popcorn Workers'" by David Michaels Exactly five years ago, the CDC published an article on lung illness in popcorn workers. Now, they're warning that flavoring workers are also affected.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/cdc-tells-osha-its-not-just-popcorn-workers/

10) "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers observe World Malaria Day, protest a scientific journal's legal threat, and explore environmental health concerns.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/friday-blog-roundup-21/

11) "The NY Times on Industry Foxes and the Regulatory Chicken Coop" by David Michaels A New York Times editorial blasts OSHA Assistant Secretary Edwin Foulke for "moving even more aggressively away from regulations in favor of corporations' pledges to police themselves" – but the problems at OSHA go even deeper.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/the-ny-times-on-industry-foxes-and-the-regulatory-chicken-coop/
~~~~~
MapQuest Gas Prices, Pretty Cool http://gasprices.mapquest.com
~~~~~
If you’d like to write Dr. Antoon, he’d like to hear from you. This is his current address, the latest of the three federal prisons’ he’s been in.
Patrick Antoon #06669-010
Federal Prison Camp-La Tuna
P. O. Box 8000
Anthony, NM/TX 88021
~~~~~
The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include a young fan watching the Thunderbirds, our group waiting for our Yukon to clear security and the Thunderbirds flying over an old war bird.
~~~~~
Don’t forget to check out www.mcc2000.net
~~~~~
We’ve now got several addresses on the web for "Da Bleat." For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33349,00.html
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Copyright, 2006, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved


2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed with a garlic press or minced
½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound pork tenderloin


Combine the soy sauce, oil, sugar, sherry, vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the pork tenderloin. Seal the bag and marinate the pork in the refrigerator, turning once, for ½ hour, or up to 8 hours.
Preheat the broiler. Place the pork on a roasting pan and broil for 15 minutes, turning once.


Nutrition Information
Calories 275 Total fat 13
Saturated fat 3.2 Protein 32
Carbohydrates 6 Fiber 0

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 3 to 4 servings

~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

The Bitterness of Slavery
4/27/2007
Brazilian Sugar and Modern Slavery

As most listeners and readers know, this year marks the two-hundredth anniversary of Britain’s abolition of the slave trade—the culmination of a decades-long campaign led by William Wilberforce and other British Christians.

Yet, two centuries later, slavery still rears its ugly head around the world. Sometimes, it is in places where no person of conscience would dream of going, such as a brothel. Other times, it is as close as your kitchen or your gas tank.

Brazil is the world’s leading producer of both sugar and coffee. It is the world’s largest exporter of beef. Brazilian sugar that is not eaten by Western consumers is increasingly turned into ethanol to power Brazil’s automobiles. Thanks to sugar cane, Brazil is a net exporter of energy and is seeking to increase its exports of ethanol to the United States.

But, there’s a fly in the molasses: Much of these commodities, especially sugar cane, are produced by slave labor.

Anywhere between 25,000 and 200,000 Brazilians are what are known as “debt slaves.” Their employers keep them in perpetual bondage by charging them “exorbitant rates for the food, water, clothes and the tools they work with.” Because their wages are so low, the workers can never pay off the “debt” and, thus, can never leave.

They work “from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.” They are housed in “straw shacks.” They are given one meal a day, which they are often forced to eat standing up. They receive no medical attention and have no “access to toilets or good hygiene.” Many of them die from malaria.

If they decide they have had enough of the exploitation, the slave masters, known as gatos, threaten them with death. They are not bluffing. The gatos employ militias to intimidate and even kill human-rights workers—imagine what they would do to runaway slaves.

As in the rest of the world, Brazilian slavery is made possible because people live in such poverty. Like the victims of sexual trafficking, desperate people are lured by false promises only to be trapped.

Brazilian President Lulu da Silva has acknowledged the problem, calling it a “shame” that Brazil “still has slavery”—a shame, indeed. But that’s about as far as Brazil’s response goes. The combination of entrenched economic interests, corruption, and the physical isolation of the slaves makes a more vigorous Brazilian response unlikely.

This means that, just as in Wilberforce’s time, Christians have to take the lead in ending modern slavery.

The first thing you can do is to become informed. Visit our “BreakPoint” website, where you will find links to articles and other resources that will help inform you.

Then, you need to get involved. Find out about the International Justice Mission (IJM) and its head, Gary Haugen, the 2007 Wilberforce Award winner. He is the closest thing we have to a modern-day Wilberforce and at the vanguard of fighting slavery and pressuring foreign governments. And speak to your pastors. Many evangelical denominations are experiencing explosive growth in Brazil. We can get our brothers down there to join the fight.

Because two hundred years after Wilberforce, there should be no room for slavery in our kitchens or gas tanks—or anywhere else.

The Good News about Injustice by Gary Haugen.

For Further Reading and Information

Tom Phillips, “Brazil’s Ethanol Slaves: 200,000 Migrant Sugar Cutters Who Prop up Renewable Energy Boom,” Guardian (London), 9 March 2007.

Tom Phillips, “Raids across Brazil Free 4,000 Slaves,” Guardian (London), 16 January 2006.

Pedro Dutour, “The Scourge of Brazilian Slavery,” Mercatornet, 5 April 2007.

Vivian Sequera, “Slavery Fears Weigh in Brazil Veto,” Business Week, 17 March 2007.

Milton Maciel, “Ethanol from Brazil and the USA,” Energy Bulletin, 2 October 2006.

Eduardo Martino, “Modern-Day Slavery in Brazil,” Eduardo Martino website.

Kevin G. Hall, “Slavery Exists out of Sight in Brazil,” Knight Ridder, 5 September 2004.

Andrew Downie, “Antislavery Efforts Imperiled in Brazil,” Christian Science Monitor, 16 February 2007.

Carolyn Moynihan, “Britain’s Sex Slavery Dilemma,” Mercatornet, 26 March 2007.

Learn more about International Justice Mission and how you can help combat slavery around the world.

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.
© 2004-2006 Prison Fellowship
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
apostasy: desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party.
prolix: wordy.
gregarious: seeking and enjoying the company of others.
circumspect: cautious; prudent.
prepotency: predominance.
argot: a specialized vocabulary peculiar to a particular group.
quagmire: a predicament.
from Dictionary.Com

~~~~~
"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - J. R. R. Tolkien

"We don't accomplish anything in this world alone, and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something." - Sandra Day O'Connor

"Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory." - Albert Schweitzer

"Adulthood is the ever-shrinking period between childhood and old age. It is the apparent aim of modern industrial societies to reduce this period to a minimum." - Thomas Szasz

"Knowledge is power." - Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est - Francis Bacon

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." - Robert Frost

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

# Prayer & Action Alert: 3 Oregon Bills of Huge Concern to Those Who Value Free Speech, Life and Alternative Pregnancy Centers, and Who Feel that Same Gender Affection Does Not Warrant "Special Rights"
# Turnout of First Round of French Elections "Extraordinary by Any Standards"
# German Chancellor Calls on Turkey to Change Intolerant Climate That Allowed Murder of Christians
# Move to Make St. George's Day a Public Holiday in England, Like St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

# Iraqi President Lets Christians Pray for Him—with Iraq "Improving Dramatically" He is Upbeat About Future
# First Sunday After Campus Massacre, Unusually High Number of Attendants Cram Churches Near Blacksburg, Virginia
# Seniors in Montana Have Their Religious Rights Restored
# Eleven-year-old Girl Comes to Diabetic Mom's Rescue, Stopping Her Out-of-control Van

# Widow Forgives Those Who Murdered Her Husband and Two Other Christians in Turkey
# Belgium Woman Who Saved 300 Children—Hiding many in Christian Homes and Monasteries—From Holocaust Honored in Israel This Week
# Brave African Cleric Says Church Has Prophetic Role—Will No Longer Be Silent
# Salvation Army is Conquering Meth One Addict a Time

# Hope amid the Horror
# Sun's Atmosphere Sings—Solar Flares Pluck Magnetic Loops, Moving Sound Waves
# Israeli Film Festival to Honor Two Christian Leaders for Their "Unwavering" Support of Israel

# Prayer & Action Alert: 3 Oregon Bills of Huge Concern to Those Who Value Free Speech, Life and Alternative Pregnancy Centers, and Who Feel that Same Gender Affection Does Not Warrant "Special Rights"
# Turnout of First Round of French Elections "Extraordinary by Any Standards"
# German Chancellor Calls on Turkey to Change Intolerant Climate That Allowed Murder of Christians
# Move to Make St. George's Day a Public Holiday in England, Like St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

# Iraqi President Lets Christians Pray for Him—with Iraq "Improving Dramatically" He is Upbeat About Future
# First Sunday After Campus Massacre, Unusually High Number of Attendants Cram Churches Near Blacksburg, Virginia
# Seniors in Montana Have Their Religious Rights Restored
# Eleven-year-old Girl Comes to Diabetic Mom's Rescue, Stopping Her Out-of-control Van

# Faith in the Home is "Good for Kids"—First of its Kind Study Shows
# Students in Baghdad Send Condolences, Express Solidarity, With Students at Virginia Tech
# Record Number of Students Participate in "Day of Truth"
# Presidential Proclamation of the National Day of Prayer 2007

# Prayer & Action Alert: So-Called Hate Crimes Bill on Fast Track in U.S. House
# Former Lesbian Exhorts Christians to Balance Truth With Love When Ministering to Homosexuals
# The Day of Silence Vs. The Day of Truth
# Two Different Churches in New Zealand Town Build a Church to Share Together

Breaking Christian News
310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail
US Orders: 1-866-358-7426

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GCF: Do You Realize...

Emailed to me from another humor list (Enjoy The Laugh) -Tom To subscribe to Enjoy The Laugh, send a blank email to: EnjoyTheLaugh-subscribe@yahoogroups.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. SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE INFO for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus before it was sent.
---------------------------------------

A tourist parked his car in downtown Washington, D.C. He said to a man standing near the curb, "Listen, I'm going to be only a couple of minutes. Would you watch my car while I run into this store?"

"What?" the man huffed. "Do you realize that I am a member of the United States Congress?"

"Well no," the tourist said, "I didn't realize that. But it's all right. I'll trust you anyway."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: How to Photograph a New Puppy

Emailed to me a friend (Thanks, Becky) -Tom
---------------------------------------

1. Remove film from box and load camera.
2. Remove film box from puppy's mouth and throw in trash.
3. Remove puppy from trash and brush coffee grounds from muzzle.
4. Choose a suitable background for photo.
5. Mount camera on tripod and focus.
6. Find puppy and take dirty sock from mouth.
7. Place puppy in pre-focused spot and return to camera.
8. Forget about spot and crawl after puppy on knees.
9. Focus with one hand and fend off puppy with other hand.
10. Get tissue and clean nose print from lens.
11. Take flash cube from puppy's mouth and throw in trash.
12. Put cat outside and put peroxide on the scratch on puppy's nose.
13. Put magazines back on coffee table.
14. Try to get puppy's attention by squeaking toy over your head.
15. Replace your glasses and check camera for damage.
16. Jump up in time to grab puppy by scruff of neck and say, "No, outside! No, outside!"
17. Clean up mess.
18. Fix a drink.
19. Sit back in Lazy Boy with drink and resolve to teach puppy "sit" and "stay" the first thing in the morning.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Good Grammar

Emailed to me a friend (Thanks, Evelyn) -Tom
---------------------------------------

Teacher: Billy, give me a sentence starting with "I".

Billy: I is ...

Teacher: No, Billy. Always say, "I am."

Billy: All right ... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Artistic Worth

Emailed to me a friend (Thanks, Pete) -Tom
---------------------------------------

An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any interest in his paintings which were on display at that time.

"I have good news and bad news," the owner replied. "The good news is that a gentleman inquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings."

"That's wonderful," the artist exclaimed. "What's the bad news?"

"The guy was your doctor."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Auto Repairs

Emailed to me a friend (Thanks, Donald) -Tom
---------------------------------------

An auto mechanic received a repair order that said to check for a clunking noise when going around corners.

He took the car out for a test drive and made two right turns, each time hearing a loud clunk.

Back at the shop, he returned the car to the service manager with this note: "Removed bowling ball from trunk."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Grandma Comparison

Emailed to me a friend (Thanks, Andrew) -Tom
---------------------------------------

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?"

I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?"

"You're both old," he replied.
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Broken promises don't upset me. \ /
\ _/ I just think, \_ /
/ / why did they believe me? \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / The first sign of a child's \ /
\ _/ maturity is the discovery that \_ /
/ /the volume knob also turns to the left.\ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / ALWAYS REMEMBER ... \ /
\ _/ There is No Such Thing as \_ /
/ / Government Money, only Taxpayer Money.\ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / You know you are getting \ \_/ ////
\ / older when you walk with \ /
\ _/ your head held high... \_ /
/ / trying to get used to your bifocals. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Just think, in a few million \ /
\ _/ years, Barney will be motor oil. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ /One good thing about being wrong \ /
\ _/ is the joy it brings to others. \_ /
/ / \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| 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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Get an accordion. The cheaper the better because they all sound the same.

Do not tell anyone what you have done -- it will only cause them to worry. They will find out soon enough.

Take the accordion out of the case and strap it on. It is better if the accordion rests on your chest instead of your back but, for the first few weeks, it doesn't really make that much difference.

For sounds to be produced, three things must happen: The bellows must be moving in or out. One or more of the keys or buttons must be pressed. All potential weapons within a one-mile radius must be collected and secured.

The third is the most important.

The buttons on the left side are chord buttons. The "C" button has a dimple or nipple so you can find it without looking. (This is a safety feature. Before it was invented, thousands of accordion players suffered painful and sometimes disabling injuries, much to the delight of the general public.)

Never use more than three buttons. "Professional" accordionists appear to be using lots of buttons, but they are actually just desperately trying to find the darned "C."

By the way, "Professional" means they have learned to smile while they do it.

Play the black and white keys. The high notes are at the bottom and the low notes are at the top. (That arrangement isn't supposed to make any sense. Accept it.)

Note: If you find the high notes at the top and the low notes at the bottom, you have either put the accordion on upside down or you have tried to repair it yourself. If the former, turn the accordion over. If the latter, pack your accordion up with hundreds of dollars and mail it far away for a long, long time.

Continue playing until someone begs you to stop or threatens your life, whichever comes first.

Put the accordion back in its case, order an accordion t-shirt, and wear it to your state's Accordion Fest.

Received from Cathy Gilstrap.

(-:][:-)

An arrogant Department of Agriculture (DOA) representative stopped at a farm and talked with the old farmer. "I need to inspect your farm."

The old farmer said, "You better not go in that field."

The Agricultural representative said in a wise tone, "I have the authority of the U.S. Government with me. See this card?
I am allowed to go wherever I wish on agricultural land."

So the old farmer went about his farm chores.

Later, the farmer heard loud screams. He saw the DOA rep running for the fence, and close behind was the farmer's prize bull.

The bull was madder than a nest full of hornets and was gaining at every step.

The old farmer called out: "Show him your card!"

Received from Jeffrey A. Smith.

(-:][:-)

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep in his chair.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10 percent discount.

Question: Among retirees, what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: NUTS!

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic, or garage?
Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?
Answer: Normal.

Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree?
Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.

Received from DOC'S DAILY CHUCKLE.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Rate this funny at http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113 Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA To print or email this funny to others, go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113 The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
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FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
7. "Free" men do not ask permission to bear arms.
8. If you don't know your rights you don't have any.
9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
10. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights reserved.
11. What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?
12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
14. Guns only have two enemies: rust and politicians.
15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive. &am p;nb sp;
17. 911 - government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
19. Criminals love gun control -- it makes their jobs safer.
20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
22. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for.
23. Enforce the "gun control laws" we ALREADY have, don't make more.
24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.
25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.
26. "A government of the people, by the people, for the people..."

Thanks to Jeanette Ford
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Another blonde joke

"Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive, double-pane energy-efficient kind. Yesterday, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the windows had been installed a whole year ago and I had not paid for them yet.

Hellloooo? Now just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So I told him just exactly what his fast-talking sales guy had told ME last year... namely, that in just ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo"? (I told him). "It's been a year"!

There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up.... He hasn't called back, probably too embarrassed about forgetting the guarantee they made me.

Thanks to David Lamb
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Welcome to You Make Me Laugh, a free newsletter from Crosswalk.com, the world's largest Christian website.

[GCFL.net] Angry Preacher

A pastor had had a bad week. On Sunday he was very frustrated and he began his sermon, "All members of this parish are going to hell if they don't change their ways."

One man in the back began to laugh.

So the pastor said it again louder.

The man continued to laugh.

The pastor went back to him and asked him why he was laughing.

He answered, "Because I don't belong to this church!"

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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/motorboating.html - - MOTOR BOATING JUST ISN'T OUR SPEED

My husband Mark and I were never meant to own a motor boat. Why not? Any couple who can't figure out how to open their car hood, should probably stick to something propelled by oars. And we surely would have done just that, had the prior owner of our weekend home not made it a package deal. If we wanted his irresistible house, we'd have to spring for his 120 horse power boat -- perfect for anyone whose idea of relaxation is charging across a rocky three mile lake at the speed of screams.

OUR FIRST TIME OUT: My husband -- a man who can build a wood stove fire in a flash, who whips up gourmet feasts in fifteen languages -- couldn't figure out how to unhook the boat's cover. Refusing my help, he struggled for an hour. Victorious at last he hurled the cover off, in the process spilling gallons of water all over the boat.

By then I was ready to bail out. But Mark handed me a pail, and we spent the next 45 minutes heaving water overboard. Once all the water was safely under the boat, it was time to begin boating. I optimistically climbed onto our 16 footer, while my husband worked the knots from ashore. A former boy scout, he did this rather well. So well, that the boat (free at last) started to drift without him. For while we had been fussing and bailing, the wind had picked up speed and was strong enough to thrust the boat several yards from the dock.

Mark rolled up his pant legs and waded up to the boat, scoffing at my suggestion that we call it a day. After climbing aboard, he asked what I had done with the boat keys -- the keys he had left on the dock while undoing the knots. Having felt a few raindrops, I diplomatically suggested that we pull the still drifting boat back to its dock. "It's not raining," my husband insisted, as he lowered himself into the lake and swam ashore to fetch the keys.

Back on board, my husband turned on the blower to get rid of the gas fumes. Being excessively neurotic, we waited five times as long as we were supposed to. This gave the boat plenty of time to pick up speed, as did my imaginary raindrops.

Mark finally declared us gas fume free and ceremoniously announced that we were on our way as he turned the ignition key. Nothing. He pulled it out and examined it, apparently hoping for some sort of revelation. He tried again. Still nothing. He looked around for help, but we were the only ones who hadn't run for shelter.

At this point it must have occurred to my husband that it wasn't an ideal time for our first outing. He climbed out of the boat and tried to pull us in. The boat barely moved -- this was a two person job. The comical sight of my drenched husband wiped away my annoyance. So I lowered myself into the lake and together we managed to maneuver the boat back to the dock.

Rejecting further assistance, my husband bravely fought rain, ropes, and cover. He tied compulsively tight knots, only to realize he should have affixed the cover first. The ropes were now soaked and nearly impossible to undo. I offered to work on the cover while he tackled the ropes. But my captain refused.

Finally finished his un-knotting, Mark undertook the cover challenge. First he put it on backwards, then sideways, always rebuffing my offers of help. I was about to explain that securing a boat cover was not unlike putting a fitted sheet on a mattress, until I remembered that he couldn't do that either.

OUR NEXT ATTEMPT: Mark spent the next month trying to persuade me to take out the boat again. I pointed out that we had never actually taken it out. Finally, in a moment of weakness, I agreed. But this time I brought along a book.

I had read only three chapters by the time Mark managed to deal with both cover and ropes in the right sequence. This might have had something to do with the fact that a handy neighbor (a fellow who actually knew how to open car hoods) was helping him. I, naturally, wasn't allowed to assist. This was men's work.

Our engine still wouldn't start, and our neighbor Bill pronounced the battery dead. While I made further progress on my book, he watched Mark try to undo the cables and remove the battery. He patiently spoke words of encouragement and made a few helpful suggestions. I kept reading.

Finally Bill couldn't take it any more. He shoved my husband aside, yanked the battery out and handed it to my husband. Then he gave him explicit instructions on where to buy a replacement only a few minutes away, what to purchase, and how to install it. That done, he jumped into his own boat, backed out of the dock, and sped away. When Bill returned three hours later, my husband was still trying to install the new battery. I'd gone back home to get another book.

OUR THIRD TRY: By the time our saintly neighbor had installed the battery, it was too dark out to dodge the rocks. So we didn't boat that weekend or, for that matter, any of the next four weekends. (I can be very creative in the excuse department.) When autumn arrived, we were still virgin boaters.

In a last ditch effort at persuasion, Mark pointed out that this was our last weekend to take the boat out (as in actually leave the dock area) before we spent $300 to pull it out of the lake for the winter. Equipped with reading matter and rain gear, I reluctantly joined him.

This time my husband did me proud. In only 30 minutes and with no help at all (our neighbors were hiding) he got us to engine count-down. "Everything will go just fine," he assured me. "We have a brand new battery, and the boat's in terrific shape." He ran the blower and with a flourish he turned the key. Click. He turned it again and again. Nothing but clicks. Plus the dirty look he gave me when I started to laugh.

BOATING SEASON TWO: That winter, I tried to talk my husband into selling the boat. But he was convinced that somehow we'd make it to the middle of the lake. "All it needs is a good tune-up," said he. What neither of us knew was finding a boat repair person -- any boat repair person -- is even harder than finding someone reliable to fix your car.

Boating season starts in late spring, but not for us. It took dozens of phone calls over a two month period to persuade someone to fix our boat. I'm convinced some people place service ads in the "Yellow Pages" as a practical joke: "Our boat repair ad brought 79 calls today. What fun!. These suckers actually think we fix boats."

WE TRY AGAIN: We finally found someone willing to take our business, and hundreds of dollars later it was time for our maiden voyage. Unfortunately we had company that day. Both sets of parents were visiting and, embarrassed to admit that this would be our first boat launch, we welcomed them aboard. Our mothers declined, but our fathers eagerly accepted. Mark would have to start, back out, pilot, and dock the boat all for the first time, in front of the world's toughest audience.

After the four of us climbed aboard Mark started the engine, and the newly repaired boat began to purr. He backed out through the narrow space, trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Our mothers shouted words of encouragement from ashore like "Don't hit anything," and "Why aren't you wearing your life jackets?"

Starting to get the hang of it, Mark grew cocky and began to show off. He gave the powerful engine so much fuel that the boat seemed to fly across the lake. Water skiers watched enviously as we sped past them. Other boaters and even some people on shore shouted words of admiration. Or at least that's what we thought they were shouting. What they were really saying was "Watch out for the rocks!". Thank god nobody was hurt -- except for the boat.

Last week, after over two years of motor boat ownership (uncharacterized by anything one could accurately call boating), I finally heard the words I'd longed to hear: "Honey, we should probably consider selling the motorboat." Grateful that my husband had finally come to his senses, I enthusiastically agreed. Until he added "We'll trade it in for a sailboat."

I think I'll join a book club.

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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We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington, DC, filled to capacity by many of America's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Davis Hansen talked about his latest book, "Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America. The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States. He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America. It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"

"Here is how they do it," Lamm said: "First, to destroy America, turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country." History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put it this way: "The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy." Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans.".

Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America, "Invent 'multiculturalism' and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. Make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences. Make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and discrimination by the majority Every other explanation is out of bounds.

Third, "We could make the United States an 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: "The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentricity and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together." Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities."

"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school."

"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I
would establish the cult of 'Victimology.' I would get all minorities to think that their lack of success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population."

"My sixth plan for America's downfall would include dual citizenship, and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common Language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A
common enemy, Persia, threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to overcome two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell. "E. Pluribus Unum" --From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'Unum,' we will balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."

"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits; make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'xenophobe' halt discussion and debate. Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our
immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them."

In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said,. "Lastly, I would censor Victor Davis Hanson's book "Mexifornia." His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America. If you feel America deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book."

There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in America - take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery," and "Ignorance is strength."

Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path especially The American Dream.
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"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than

Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after

9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative."

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Thanks to Jeanette Ford
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| Safety from the Heart |
-----------------------------------------------------
April 20, 2007
BY T&D STAFF

Pedestrian deaths

South Carolina’s roads are deadly – and getting deadlier. Already in 2007, 243 people have died on the state’s highways. That compares to 228 by the end of the first week of April 2006.

For motorists, wearing seat belts is one way to save lives. Of the seven people killed on the state’s roads over the Easter holiday weekend, three were wearing seat belts and four were not. Of the 192 vehicle occupants killed so far this year, 125 were not wearing safety belts.

The plight of pedestrians is not as well known. But the toll is rising – so much so that state law enforcement has devised a campaign to make people aware of the dangers.

As of the end of March, 26 pedestrians had been killed. That’s five more than the 21 for the same period a year ago. In all of 2006, 125 pedestrians were killed in the state.

In Orangeburg, where the second-largest county by land area has an expanse of interstate miles and rural roads, the highway death toll annually is among the highest in the state. Through Easter weekend, nine people had died in the county, compared to 10 for the same period in 2006. Seven counties have more deaths.

Two of the Orangeburg deaths have been pedestrians, the most recent coming when a vehicle broke down on Interstate 26. A 72-year-old Virginia man was struck and killed as he attempted to cross the interstate. His death occurred just after dark – and is part of two trends.

The S.C. Highway Patrol reports that a majority of pedestrian fatalities occur at night. And the numbers don’t lie about Orangeburg County. A year ago, pedestrian deaths were eight, up from two in 2005.

It’s a trend officials hope to reverse.

“Pedestrian deaths are by and large not occurring with joggers, walkers and people crossing city streets who tend to take a defensive posture when interacting with traffic,” Highway Patrol Col. Russell Roark has said.. “People are getting killed on rural roadways at night, wearing dark clothing. Many of them are intoxicated and already lying in the roadway.”

Common patterns with pedestrian fatalities:
They are occurring on poorly lit, rural roadways.
Pedestrians are either in the roadway already or step into the path of the vehicle.
Many are intoxicated, which impairs vision and judgment.

Education and awareness are needed – for pedestrians and motorists.

The results of a 2004 Clemson University study indicate pedestrians greatly overestimate their ability to be seen by drivers. If you’re walking, you should be aware that most collisions occur at night when drivers, particularly older ones, have difficulty detecting the walker until there is too little time to react.
For motorists, the Patrol recommends using high beams when possible, making spotting a walker much more likely. Be on the lookout for those on foot.

Stop, Educate and Enforce: South Carolina certainly wants to SEE a reduction in the pedestrian toll.

_________________________________
| Safety from the Heart |
-------------------------------------------------------
April 19, 2007
Shocking Stats
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At 35 mph, a 2 second lapse in attention means you've traveled 100 feet without looking!
Teens are much more likely to be distracted when traveling with other teens.
Teach Teens to "Keep Your Hands on the Wheel to Avoid Distractions"

There are all kinds of distractions that can take our eyes off the road. Here's a way to help maintain your attention:

Keep both hands on the wheel while driving

Don't talk on the phone without a hands-free accessory

Wait 'til the next stoplight to change that CD

Don't drive with passengers until you are more experienced

Parent's Tip: Don't remind your teen of all the possible distractions. Instead, enforce keeping your hands on the wheel and you'll avoid most of the distractions that cause serious crashes.

Source: Safe Young Drivers, Phil Berardelli
_________________________________
| Safety from the Heart |
--------------------------------------------------------
April 23, 2007
Flying Mattresses

Today's Message is from Steve Alferi (a Houston Albemarle employee).

A few weeks ago as I was heading home, there was a pickup truck in front of me that was transporting a couple of mattresses. The mattresses were leaning against the cab of the truck and were not secured in the bed of the truck. As the truck started to enter the Beltway, the mattresses started moving. At that time, I decided to move over to another lane. A few seconds later both mattresses were picked up and lifted out of the bed and fell directly behind the truck in the lane of traffic, and a few folks had to swerve to avoid running over the mattresses.

I learned to not only watch WHERE the vehicles are during driving, but also WHAT the vehicles are carrying or hauling.
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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. www.mcc2000.net
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 12, Number 36 --- 25 Apr 2007
Tourbus Home -- http://www.InternetTourbus.com

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TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: Linux / Carpal Tunnel / Video Conferencing

In today's TOURBUS, you'll find some advice on switching from Windows to Linux, and learn my secret to beating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Also, discover how to get started with online video conferencing, and some low-wallet-impact alternatives to Adobe Photoshop. Read on!

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Switching To Linux
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If you think computers only come in two flavors, think again. There are other operating systems besides Mac and Windows. In fact, most of the computers that power the Internet are running Linux. And just like DOS grew up and sprouted a fancy graphical interface, so Linux has evolved into a user-friendly point and click system that doesn't require a computer science degree to use.

So why switch? For starters, Linux is available for free and is a more secure and reliable system than Windows. Tired of rebooting a frozen Windows computer? Linux is less prone to crashing, is less vulnerable to security threats like spyware and viruses, and runs great even on older computers. You can even run Windows software right on your Linux desktop. Here are some tips on switching from Windows to Linux...

http://askbobrankin.com/switch_to_linux.html

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

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the result of a compressed nerve in the wrist. Symptoms may include pain, tingling, and numbness. Some people experience reduced grip strength, or a burning sensation in the wrist and hand.

About ten years ago, when I worked as a programmer at IBM, my wrists began to get very sore and painful. Every night I had to come home and ice them down to ease the pain and swelling. The doctor said it was Carpal Tunnel, and I would need drugs, therapy and surgery to treat it. But I had another plan in mind. Read on to learn more about Carpal Tunnel, and what I did to get rid of the pain in just a few days...

http://askbobrankin.com/carpal_tunnel_syndrome.html

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Video Conferencing Comes of Age
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Until recently, videoconferencing was mostly used as a substitute for traveling to face to face business meetings. However, it has become so accessible that it's now used in medicine, education, and even in judicial systems for simple court proceedings such as arraignments. One county jail uses web-based videoconferencing for visitation to prevent contraband being passed to inmates.

Videoconferencing is now a $10 billion a year business, but you don't need big bucks to get in the game. Got a webcam? Here's how you can start videoconferencing on the web...

http://askbobrankin.com/video_conferencing.html

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PhotoShopping Around For Alternatives
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A reader who's into digital photography asked me this: > > "The photo editing software that came with my digital camera is > > pretty lame. I looked into Adobe Photoshop but WOW it's expensive! > > Are there some good photo editors that are more affordable?"

Yes, Adobe's Photoshop has established itself as the incontestable standard of image editing software. For professionals and consumers alike, its exceptional performance and the proliferation of effects plug-ins make for quite an irresistible package... that is, until you zoom in on the $650 price tag. Even Photoshop Elements, Adobe's stripped down version, costs US$99.99.

But there are other good image editing programs available that will crop, rotate, and resize images, as well as do color adjustment, and other photo manipulation tasks. Even better, they are low-cost or in some cases free of charge! Here's the scoop...

http://askbobrankin.com/photo_editing_software.html

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Webmail Versus Desktop Email
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If you've been using Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Lotus Notes or some other desktop email software to manage your email, you might want to consider a web-based email (webmail) solution. As the name implies, webmail is a way to send, receive and manage your email via the Web. Instead of using traditional email software that resides on your computer, you handle all your email tasks via your web browser.

Webmail offers most features you'd expect in a desktop email client, such as an address book, customized folders, spell check and rules- based filtering. But there are some trade-offs between webmail and desktop-based mail. Let's look at the pro's and con's to help you decide which is best for you:

http://askbobrankin.com/is_webmail_better.html

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That's all for now, see you next time! -- Bob Rankin
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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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Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
19th Annual Magnolia Blossom Festival & World Championship Steak Cook-Off
May 18 - May 19, 2007
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The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the Clinton Library September 22-25, 2007.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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Weekly Toll - - http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com/
Death In The Workplace w/News & Updates
John Donne - ...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
A partial list of workplace fatalities.

Donnie Ray Reynolds, 56, mechanic for Wade Incorporated, was electrocuted Thursday, April 12, while working on top of a combine. According to Powell Litton, manager of the local John Deere company, Mr Reynolds stood up and connected with a low hanging electrical wire. The line, owned by Clarksdale Public Utilities, carried 8000 volts of electricity

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A landscape worker died on Wednesday after being pinned by his lawnmower underwater, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. Officials said Bobby Tagle, 24, of Okeechobee, was working when he got trapped under his lawnmower after falling into a pond.

Benton, AR - Abatement Co. of Donaldson died Wednesday afternoon after falling from scaffolding at the local Almatis plant.

EL MONTE, CA - The body of a 33-year-old tree-trimmer was found slumped in a tree Thursday, 30 feet above the ground.

The worker who was killed when the barge he was working on capsized

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A Coeur d'Alene construction worker died after an accident involving a nail gun. Damon Huhtala, 26, was framing a house at the Gozzer Ranch development near Harrison when co-workers found him with a nail from a nail gun piercing his skull,

TOLEDO -- A construction worker died Thursday from a fall off a bridge being built near downtown, police said. A scaffolding collapsed, sending the worker tumbling to the ground below.

Seattle, WA - A longshoreman at the Port of Seattle was killed Thursday evening in an industrial accident. The Eagle Marine Services Ltd., employee was crushed to death at about 8 p.m. when a large piece of machinery ran over him,

Dothan, AL - Federal investigators are looking at an apparent industrial fatality in Enterprise. The incident occurred on Wednesday at Utility Trailers. The company is located at the intersection of Boll Weevil Circle and Highway 84 West. The company manufacturers truck trailers. A spokesman tells News 4, they've identified 41-year-old Billy Hardcastle of Daleville as the person who was killed. Enterprise Police say it appears Hardcastle died after being crushed while manufacturing trailers.

Lansing police Friday confirmed that an Advance Auto Parts employee crushed to death by a car he was working on Thursday is Chad Stephen Hill of Laingsburg. Lansing police said Hill, 26, was working on the car at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the shop at 4220 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., when the supports holding the car up gave way.

MANTECA — A Manteca man died on the job when a tractor rolled over on top of him.

CO - A worker was killed in an industrial accident early Thursday in the Burlington Northern railroad yards in Adams County. Joseph L. Coverdale, 58, of Wheat Ridge, was using a tractor to move a trailer carrying a loaded container in the rail yards

Minneapolis, MN - A United Taconite employee was killed in a mining accident on Wednesday. The St. Louis County sheriff's office said it happened around 10:45 a.m. at the United Taconite Thunderbird Mine near Eveleth. A mining company spokeswoman said the worker was killed when a rotary drill fell over.

St.Ignace, MI - William Joseph O'Connor, Jr., 23, of Cheboygan died Wednesday, April 11, in an industrial accident on Bois Blanc Island. The Mackinac County Sheriff's office is investigating the work-related death. Preliminary investigation indicates that employees of Northwood Timber Products, Inc. were working on a piece of logging equipment, which had been lifted and was supported with timber.

TN - A construction worker fell 40 to 60 feet and died in an accident at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Tuesday afternoon.

A 29 year-old man was killed yesterday when a co-worker backed a van over him at a job site in south Forsyth County. According to Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Specialist Investigator Bill Loring, the victim, Elevterio Olvera, was at a residence on Spyglass Drive when he crawled under his employer’s Ford Econoline van to place a piece of carpet under the van to prevent an oil leak from staining the driveway.

http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com/2007/04/weekly-toll-death-in-american-workplace.html
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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. Alexander Van Aalten, 21, of Monterey, Tenn., died Apr. 20 in Sangin, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when a land mine detonated near his unit during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

02. Lance Cpl. Jeffery A. Bishop, 23, of Dickson, Tenn., died April 20 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Bishop was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

03. Chief Warrant Officer Dwayne L. Moore, 31, of Williamsburg, Va., died Apr. 19 in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he came in contact with enemy forces using indirect fire. Moore was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Apr. 18 in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Killed were:
04. Cpl. Wade J. Oglesby, 27, of Grand Junction, Colo.
05. Cpl. Michael M. Rojas, 21, of Fresno, Calif.

06. Pfc. Michael J. Slater, 19, of Scott Depot, W. Va., died Apr. 21 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle rolled over during combat operations. Slater was assigned to the 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

07. Pfc. Christopher M. North, 21, of Sarasota, Fla., died Apr. 21, in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire during combat operations. North was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

08. Sgt. William W. Bushnell, 24, of Jasper, Ark., died Apr. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade during combat operations. Bushnell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

09. Staff Sgt. Marlon B. Harper, 34, of Baltimore, Md.,died Apr. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he came in contact with enemy forces using a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. Harper was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

10. Cpl. Ray M. Bevel, 22, of Andrews, Texas, died Apr. 21 in Yusifiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat patrol operations. Bevel was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

11. Pfc. Jeffrey A. Avery, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died April 23 in Muqudadiyah, Iraq, from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during checkpoint operations. He was assigned to the 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.

12. Staff Sgt. Steven R. Tudor, 36, of Dunmore, Pa., died Apr. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using indirect fire during combat operations. Tudor was assigned to the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

13. Lance Cpl. Dale G. Peterson, 20, of Redmond, Ore., died April 23 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Peterson 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 nine soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Apr. 23 in As Sadah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their location. Killed were:
14. 1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers, 26, of Hastings, Neb.
15. Staff Sgt. Kenneth E. Locker Jr., 28, of Wakefield, Neb.
16. Staff Sgt. William C. Moore, 27, of Benson, N.C.
17. Sgt. Randell T. Marshall, 22, of Fitzgerald, Ga.
18. Sgt. Brice A. Pearson, 32, of Phoenix, Az.
19. Sgt. Michael L. Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Ore.
20. Spc. Jerry R. King, 19, of Browersville, Ga.
21. Spc. Michael J. Rodriguez, 20, of Sanford, N.C.
22. Pfc. Garrett C. Knoll, 23, of Bad Axe, Mich.
All were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

23. Spc. Jeremy E. Maresh, 24, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., died Apr. 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, from a non-combat related incident. His death is under investigation.

24. Cpl. Willie P. Celestine Jr., 21, of Lafayette, La., died April 26 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

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Airmen Missing In Action From Vietnam War Are Identified


The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Col. Norman D. Eaton, of Weatherford, Okla., and Lt. Col. Paul E. Getchell, of Portland, Maine, both U.S. Air Force. Eaton will be buried April 25 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and Getchell will be buried later this spring at Arlington.

On Jan. 13, 1969, Eaton and Getchell crewed a B-57B Canberra bomber participating in a nighttime attack on targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The target area was illuminated by flares from a C-130 aircraft; however, the flares dimmed as the B-57 began its third bombing run on the target. The crew was low on fuel, but decided to continue the attack run without illumination. The C-130 crew received a radio transmission indicating that the B-57 was off target and seconds later, the plane crashed. Eaton and Getchell could not be recovered at the time of the incident.

In 1995, a joint U.S.-Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed a Laotian citizen who recalled the crash. Another joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team surveyed the site and found wreckage and crew-related materials consistent with the citizen’s report.

In 2003, a joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team excavated the crash site and recovered Eaton’s identification tag. The team was unable to complete the recovery and subsequent teams re-visited the site five more times between 2004 and 2005 before the recovery was complete. As a result, the teams found Getchell’s identification tag, human remains and additional crew-related items.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.

~~

Soldier Missing From The Korean War Is Identified

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

He is Cpl. Clarence R. Becker, U.S. Army, of Lancaster, Pa. He was buried April 25 in Indiantown Gap, Pa.

Representatives from the Army met with Becker’s next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Army.

On Dec. 1, 1950, Becker went missing in action when the convoy of trucks in which he was riding was ambushed south of Kunuri, North Korea. He was captured and taken prisoner. U.S. servicemen who were held in captivity with Becker said he died in the North Korean Pyoktong POW Camp 5 around May 1951 from malnutrition and disease. He was buried near the camp.

Following the Armistice, the Chinese Army exhumed remains from several POW camp cemeteries and repatriated them in 1954 to the United Nations forces during Operation Glory. Becker’s remains could not be identified at the time and were subsequently buried as unknown remains at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific—the Punch Bowl—in Hawaii.

In 2005, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) reexamined Korean War-era documents relating to unknowns buried at the Punch Bowl, which suggested that some of these remains might be identifiable. Later that year, JPAC exhumed a grave there believed to be associated with Becker.

Among other traditional forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the JPAC also used dental comparisons in Becker’s identification.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http;//www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

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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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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MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
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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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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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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
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Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Ezra 3:3-5 Ezra 4:1-4 cts 26:24-26 Neh 2:4-5 Neh 4:6-8 Heb 11:6-8 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. The latest issue is usually updated sometime Saturday. For the "Blog" version just go to one of the several addresses on the web. For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Older issues can be found at http://www.bugsbleat_q__.blogspot.com, where _ is the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4) and __ is the year (05, 06, or 07). We also have a site [http://bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com/] where we post photos that I like.
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. 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 2007 before it was sent.
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