Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Special Message

Volume 7, Issue 07

Hello All,

Dusty got his yellow Taekwondo Belt this week.
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David and I spent a “guys” day at Texarkana last Saturday. Browsing the tech stores, eating Chinese food and just enjoying life. I want to be like him when I grow up.
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Bayou Bistro, the new “New Orleans” eatery is open in Magnolia at 1210 North Jackson. You can call in orders at 234-6468. Their Etouffee, Steaks, Shrimp and sausage Linguine and French bread are GREAT!
Annette took me there for Valentines Monday.
If you like, you can share an entree or sandwich since portions are big. Annette and I have called in an order and picked it up to share for supper and it was good.
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Our local hospital has just been found NOT guilty in a much-publicized “sex discrimination” case. Everyone there is a little sensitive right now.
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The ARKLA Amateur Radio Association 2005 Winter Meeting will be held Saturday, February 26 @ 5:30 pm at The Old Feed house, 79 By-Pass in Magnolia. You’re invited.
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The First Baptist Taco Supper is coming.
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Annette and I continue to recover from SARS. I only know one person in Magnolia who didn’t suffer with this stuff.
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Our Albemarle Fire Brigade is getting a fire truck next week. It’s a 750 gallon, 1250 g.p.m. pump, E-One from outside Chicago. This truck was loaned to New York after 9/11 and carries the department number, 911.
Now, all we need is a door in our building so we can park it.
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We recommend you check out “NewsScan” this week. (Down in the serious section) They have some great commentary this week.
~~~~~
"... it seems the good they die young You know I just looked around and he's gone..."
Abraham, Martin, and John - Dion Demucii 1968

Stanton Haynes
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith," (2 Timothy 4:7). Stanton's family and friends know he finished the race in first place with complete healing and eternal happiness as his ultimate reward.
Stanton Allen Haynes, our brave little fighter, earned his angel wings and won his battle with Neuroblastoma on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, at the age of 3 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Stanton entered into heaven one day before his fourth birthday.
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in Minden at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, with the Rev. Wayne DuBose officiating. Services are under the direction of Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Minden.
The family will receive friends and family on Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Stanton was kissed and welcomed into heaven by O.H. Haynes Jr., his great-grandfather; Flora Anderson, his great-grandmother; Jesse Miller, his great-grandfather; Lamar Logan, his great-grandfather; and other St. Jude friends.
He is survived by his proud and devoted parents, Jeff and Tina Miller Haynes; his loving brother, Hayden; grandparents, Linda and James Miller, Debbie and O.H. Haynes III, and Linda and Jerry Turner; great-grandparents, Freddie Louise Haynes, G.J. Anderson, Faye Miller, and Laverne Fesmire; aunts and uncles, Jamie and Scottie Booth, Hank and Dana Haynes and Dakota Haynes; and cousins, Mary Claire and Elynn Kate Boothe, Heather, Coltan and Hollan Haynes. Stanton also had very special St. Jude friends, Emma Grace Hampton and nurse, Sarah Ortiz.
Pallbearers will be Scotty McCoy, Bill Kennedy, Matt Martin, Dennis Gaston, Mike Leppert, and Ricky Elliott. Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Kennedy, Jerry Brunson, Chad Puckett, Mike McCoy, Barney Hampton, Travis Schexnayder and Don Raborn.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Solid Tumor Research, or the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis.
The family would like to thank the staff at St. Jude and the Ronald McDonald House for making our family yours. We could not have asked for more than you gave us - your care, friendship and devotion to our precious little boy.
~
Dear Prayer Warriors and Friends, and Family,
My precious angel friend Stanton Haynes earned his much-deserved angel wings this morning (Sunday, February 13) around 2 a.m., one day before his 4th birthday. I write this with a sad but glorious heart. A heart saddened for his dear precious family, a heart rejoicing that he does not hurt and suffer anymore. He is now in the arms of God our Father with a new body. He can run and play and do whatever he wants to for eternity. Please continue to keep this beautiful family in your prayers, the days along with be long and hard.

"Dear Father God, wrap your arms around this family now, comfort them as only you can. Help to them to ask not Why, but WHAT good has come out of this situation. Amen."

I know that your words of encouragement, your prayers for healing and mercy and peace have been much appreciated during Stanton's 2-year battle with the beast cancer. If you will, please stop by the website to let them know you are still praying for their comfort. www.caringbridge.org/la/stanton. Also, if any of you feel like you would like to DO something for this family, please stop by the St Jude website and give a donation in Stanton's memory. Either to the St Jude Hospital--www.stjude.org or maybe give a donation to the Ronald McDonald House, which is funded strictly by donations from people. This is a place where families with sick children at St Jude can stay for FREE (so another burden doesn't have to fall in a parent's lap as they have a very sick child) while their children receive treatment at the Jude. You may get the information for this from Stanton's website also by clicking on links below Tina's signature. I will send any of the information on how to donate if you would like to and cannot get to the donation page, so please let me know.

Thank you again for all of your support and prayers for Stanton over the past 2 years.

I love you all,
Julie Morris
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We always invite local industry and first responder to our "on site" (and off site for that matter) training sessions.

So, you are invited to take part, in an upcoming HazWOpER 40 Hour, Technician Level training course being sponsored by Albemarle on March 14 - 18. This five-day training session will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day at the Albemarle Training Center on Hwy 371.

If you are in need of "HazMat Awareness" level training, you can obtain that by attending the first day only (Monday, March 14.) Those seeking refresher training for their current Technician Level certification need only attend Thursday and Friday, (March 17 & 18.)

The Emergency Services Training Institute, a division of Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), will conduct this training. A&M ESTI has provided our employees with the highest level of training available for several years.

For details on the training, costs and reservations, please contact me.

James Fort McClellan CSP NREMTI
Safety Coordinator
Albemarle Corporation
Magnolia, AR
james-mcclellan@albemarle.com
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"Rockin Romania" has been invited to the White House to participate in honoring the workers who've struggled to save Romanian Orphans. We'll keep you posted.
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This week we share excerpts from “Da Bleat” of Friday, February 18, 2000.
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www.aaa.com Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current Avg. $1.90 $2.01 $2.09 $2.06
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
~~~~~
Navy to Commission Attack Submarine Jimmy Carter

The Navy will commission the newest nuclear-powered attack submarine Jimmy Carter on Saturday, Feb. 19, during an 11 a.m. EST ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Conn.
The attack submarine Jimmy Carter honors the 39th president of the United States.

President Carter is the only U.S. president to have qualified in submarines. He has distinguished himself by a lifetime of public service, and has long ties to the Navy and the submarine force. Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, served as a commissioned officer aboard submarines, and served as commander-in-chief from 1977 to 1981. Carter's statesmanship, philanthropy and sense of humanity earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
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Recipe of the week; Flat is Beautiful II - These days we're all looking for ways to make more out of less. Alton Brown's favorite strategy: flatten meats wafer thin and cover them with flavor. New looks at old classics like Chicken Kiev, Turkey Piccata and Carpaccio.

Beef Paillard Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004 - Show: Good Eats - - Episode: Flat is Beautiful II


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings


1 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Place tenderloin in the freezer for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloin from the freezer. Using an electric knife, cut the beef into 3/8-inch thick slices. Place slices of beef, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Squirt the beef lightly with water and squirt the top of the plastic wrap as well. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Lightly brush each slice of beef on both sides with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and turn skillet upside down over burner. Brush the pan lightly with oil. Place 2 to 3 slices of beef on the pan at a time and sear for 10 seconds on each side. Remove to an ovenproof platter and keep in warm oven. Repeat until all of the beef has been cooked. Serve immediately.
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Chicken Kiev Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004 - Show: Good Eats - Episode: Flat is Beautiful II


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings



8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning chicken
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 large whole eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (panko), plus 1/4 cup for filling
Vegetable oil, for frying


Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.
Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Squirt chicken lightly with water and squirt the top of the plastic wrap as well. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.

Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast. Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.

Heat ½-inch of vegetable oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.

Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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Turkey Piccata Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004 - Show: Good Eats - Episode: Flat is Beautiful II


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings



1 whole turkey breast, approximately 1 ½ to 2 pounds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
½ cup white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves


Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Cut the turkey breast crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Place pieces of turkey, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Squirt the meat lightly with water and squirt the top of the plastic wrap as well. Pound to no less than 1/8 inch thickness.

Season both sides of meat with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour. Shake off the excess flour. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium to medium high heat, heat olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter. Once hot, but not yet smoking, brown turkey scaloppine quickly, about 1 minute on each side, and remove to an ovenproof platter. Place in oven to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to low and add the shallots to the pan. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until they begin to turn translucent. Add wine and lemon juice to the pan and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary. Pour sauce over turkey, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD-9936-27929,00.html
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We’re always looking for stories as well as jokes and other contributions. Don’t hesitate to share any offerings with us.
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Don't forget ... "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleat.blogspot.com
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Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
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BREAKPOINT Commentaries
by Chuck Colson. - Prison Fellowship

The Military’s ‘Unmentionable Topic’
Sex Trafficking and the Navy

February 18, 2005

Nicholas Kristof’s recent New York Times columns on sex trafficking in Cambodia drew a lot of reader mail. Many asked, “What about the johns?”—the men who buy the services.

“Why aren’t the men written about?” one reader asked Kristof, “Embarrass them, expose them, not the women.” Kristof responded, “[F]oreign countries just are not going to arrest a lot of the johns, while they could be persuaded to arrest traffickers of young girls.” Okay, of course, we want traffickers arrested. That was the goal of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act that Bill Bennett, Michael Horowitz, and I along with many others fought so hard to get passed.

But another of Kristof’s readers pinpointed a “customer” who can be targeted. “Unfortunately,” he wrote, “our military supports [sex trafficking] by patronizing it around the world. Thus, by proxy, our government payroll contributes to keeping it alive.” It’s a practice we do not like to think about, but it needs to be confronted.

In the current issue of our BreakPoint WorldView magazine—which, by the way, you ought to subscribe to, if you don’t already—Preston Jones, who served in the Navy, describes the military’s lackadaisical attitude toward prostitution. Jones recalled a T-shirt seen in Thailand that read: “Good boys go to heaven. Bad boys go to Pattaya”—a rest-and-recreation site in Thailand famous for prostitution.

“One thing [the] T-shirt failed to mention is the same thing the military’s chaplaincy has failed to mention for decades,” wrote Jones. “It’s the same thing the military brass and senior enlisted men have failed to mention. It’s the same thing medics who pass out condoms fail to mention. It’s the same thing the U.S. government has failed to mention. It’s the same thing our churches, inhabited by veterans who keep the secret, fail to mention. It’s the unmentionable topic among Navy veterans . . . namely, that many of the mysterious Asian prostitutes who tend to our men in uniform are kids, and many of these kids are, basically, slaves.”

One of Kristof’s readers tried to gloss over prostitution in Thailand, saying that for many women there, it’s “voluntary” and a means to marrying Western men. That was the Clinton administration’s reason for not cracking down on the sex trade a few years back. Kristof rightly countered that “while many of the bar girls hope that they’ll [marry], that’s certainly not the typical result. A lot of them end up, if not with AIDS, then suffering from TB, drug addictions, and various STDs, with no savings, dying alone.” That some in our military contribute to this is heartbreaking—and shameful.

We must go after the traffickers, but we can also target the demand for prostitutes. In this case, we can insist that the military change its culture. And that change is in the military’s best interest, says Jones. Prostitution is bad for morale; it destroys the moral authority of chaplains, officers, and senior enlisted men; and it makes deployments for married men all the more dangerous.

And worst of all, it fans anti-Americanism: “There is something incongruous,” writes Jones, “about ambassadors from the world’s greatest democracy capitalizing on the economic desperation of girls in the developing world”—incongruous, indeed, and an outrage that ought to be stopped.

For further reading and information:

Today’s BreakPoint offer: Subscribe today to BreakPoint WorldView magazine. Upcoming issues will address religious freedom, criminal justice, pop culture, human rights, poetry, cultivating gratitude, and more. Call 1-877-322-5527.

Visit the website for the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

You can contact the Secretary of Defense here, and contact the Secretary of State here.

Preston Jones, “Conduct Unbecoming: The U.S. Navy and the Girls of East Asia,” BreakPoint WorldView, January/February 2005.
See also this earlier article Dr. Jones wrote on the history of the U.S. military’s involvement with the East Asian sex trade (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).
BreakPoint Commentary No. 050216, “Broken: When Victims Can’t Escape Their Past.”
See Nicholas Kristof’s multimedia presentations on “Freeing Sex Slaves.” Read the background information on Nicholas Kristof’s research on Cambodia here.

See Kristof’s reader e-mail comments on prostitutes in Thailand(#744) and on military involvement(#729).

Allen Hertzke, Freeing God’s Children (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004).

Copyright 2005 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BREAKPOINT with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Prison Fellowship Ministries may withdraw or modify this grant of permission at any time. To receive "BREAKPOINT" commentaries daily, you can subscribe for free at http://www. breakpoint. org/.
~~~~~

Words of the Week:
celerity: quickness; swiftness.
nefarious: wicked in the extreme.
agitprop: propaganda.
inamorata: a woman whom one is in love with.
diffident: bashful or unassertive.
polymath: a person of great or varied learning.
fiduciary: relating to the holding of something in trust for another.
perspicacity: clearness of understanding.
from Dictionary.Com

~~~~~
Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. -- Dave Barry I promise to: take time to think through what I am going to do so I can do it safely, get the right PPE and use it at all times, talk to you, my co-worker, about the work you are about to do so I can help you do it safety, help you, my co-worker, from ever being hurt, and thank you every time you remind me about PPE or a procedure or anything that keeps me from getting hurt.
"Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind." - Cicero

"Love, is a quicksilver word; though you see plainly where it is, you have only to put your finger on it to find that it is not there but someplace else." - Morton Hunt

"Before seeking revenge, first dig two graves." - Chinese proverb

"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I'. And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I'. They don't think 'I'. They think 'we'; they think 'team'. They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit.... This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done." - Peter Drucker

"At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet." - Plato

"The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink." - George Orwell

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo Da Vinci

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds." - Albert Einstein

"In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact opposite." - Paul Dirac
~~~~~
FLASH CARD "What will survive of us is love." (Philip Larkin)
*****
FLASH CARD "Wash four distinct and separate times, using lots of lather each time from individual bars of soap." (Howard Hughes)
*****
FLASH CARD "Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory." (Benjamin Disraeli)
*****
FLASH CARD "An architect proves his skill by turning the defects of a site into advantages." (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini)
*****
FLASH CARD "Physicists and astronomers see their own implications in the world being round, but to me it means that only one-third of the world is asleep at any given time and the other two-thirds is up to something." (Dean Rusk)

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GCF: Special Message

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

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! A smile will enhance the quality of your life. Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@egroups.com or visit the Good Clean Fun web site http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor/ UNSUBSCRIBE INFO for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2004 before it was sent.
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"Skipper," the sailor said to his captain as he saluted, "A special message just came in for you from the admiral. I have it right here."

"Read it to me," the captain ordered.

The sailor read, "You are without a doubt the most idiotic, lame-brained officer ever to command a ship in the United States Navy."

The skipper responded, "Have that communication decoded at once!"
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GCF: Mealtime Blessing

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Donald) -Tom
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My four-year-old likes to say the blessing at mealtimes, usually repeating the same short prayer: "Thank you, God, for this gracious food. Amen."

One evening, however, he thanked the Lord for the birds, the trees, each of his friends, and asked God to watch over his family and help them to be good. I was thrilled that he was finally praying from the heart.

But after the "Amen," he took a spoonful of stew, gasped, then dropped his spoon into the bowl. "I should have said a longer prayer," he said. "My food is still too hot."
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GCF: Accident Report

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom
To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to:
andychaps-the-funnies-subscribe@egroups.com
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Because I was processing my first accident report at the transport company where I worked, I was being particularly attentive.

The driver had hit a deer on the highway, and the result was a severely damaged hood and fender. My serious mood was broken, however, when I reached the section of the report that asked, "Speed of other vehicle?"

The driver had put, "Full gallop."
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GCF: Interactive Weather

Emailed to me from another humor list (You Make Me Laugh) -Tom
To subscribe to You Make Me Laugh, send a blank email to:
SUBSCRIBE-laugh@lists.crosswalk.com
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Our part of the country had gone for weeks with little or no rain.

The TV weatherman, on his computerized map, was pointing out a thunderstorm 50 miles away. He placed his cursor over the region and clicked to zoom in on the storm.

Watching, my son shook his head and said, "I sure wish he would click on that storm and drag it over here."
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GCF: Laws of Parenting

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
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1. The later you stay up, the earlier your child will wake up the next morning.

2. For a child to become clean, something else must become dirty.

3. Toys multiply to fill any space available.

4. The longer it takes you to make a meal, the less your child will like it.

5. Yours is always the only child who doesn't behave.

6. If the shoe fits...it's expensive.

7. The surest way to get something done is to tell a child not to do it.

8. The gooier the food, the more likely it is to end up on the carpet.

9. Backing the car out of the driveway causes your child to have to go to the bathroom.
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/ )| Thomas S. Ellsworth |( / / | tellswor@slonet.org | \ -( (- | http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor | -) )-
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[GCFL.net] Report Card

Eight-year-old Sally brought her report card home from school. Her marks were good ... mostly A's and a couple of B's. However, her teacher had written across the bottom:

"Sally is a smart little girl, but she has one fault. She talks too much in school. I have an idea I am going to try, which I think may break her of the habit."

Sally's dad signed her report card, putting a note on the back:

"Please let me know if your idea works on Sally because I would like to try it out on her mother."

Received from Thomas S. Ellsworth.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Novice Immerser

The young son of a Baptist minister was in church one morning when he saw for the first time baptism by immersion. He was greatly interested in it, and the next morning proceeded to baptize... you guessed it.... his three cats in the bathtub.

The youngest kitten bore it very well, and so did the younger cat, but the old family tom cat rebelled.

The old feline struggled with the boy, clawed and tore his skin, and finally got away. With considerable effort the boy caught the old tom again and proceeded with the "ceremony."

But the cat acted worse than ever, clawing and spitting, and scratching the boy's face.

Finally, after barely getting the cat splattered with water, he dropped him on the floor in disgust and said, "Fine, be a Methodist if you want to!"

Received from You Make Me Laugh.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Some Quickies (Punny Wendesday)
John: Did you hear about the tire that had a nervous
breakdown?
Larry: No! Tell me about it.
John: It just couldn't take any more pressure.
--- GCFL ---
John: Did you hear about the blonde farmer who ran a
steamroller over
his field of potatoes?
Larry: No! Why would he do that?
John: He wanted to make mashed potatoes.
--- GCFL ---
John: What did the judge say when a skunk wandered into
the courtroom?
Larry: I give up, what?
John: He banged his gavel and said, "Odor in the
courtroom!"
--- GCFL ---
"I give up!" the little boy said while kneeling in prayer
beside his bed. "Art doesn't listen to me at all."
"Art? Art who?" asked his bewildered mom.
"Art in Heaven," said the boy.

Received from Andychaps The Funnies.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] You Might Belong To A Redneck Synagogue If...

People ask, when they hear about oil lasting 8 days, whether it was Pennzoil.

The shofar sounds like a duck call.

The Bar Mitzvah centerpiece is made from grits. It's in the shape of a shotgun.

The rabbi says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to approach the bima," and then five guys and two women stand up.

You can tell it's a fancy Oneg Shabbat when they serve beef jerky.

Opening day of deer season is recognized as another high holiday.

A member of the synagogue requests to be buried in his
4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of."

The rabbi and the cantor drive matching pickup trucks.

The choir is known as the "OK Chorale."

Bris is referred to as "branding."

"Thou shalt not covet" applies to hunting dogs, too.

High notes on the organ set the dogs under the floor to howling.

The Sisterhood recipe for gefilte fish calls for a medium-sized catfish.

You can recognize life cycle events by the clean t-shirts.

For Purim, all the kids dress up as Dale Earnhardt.

The final words of the benediction are, "Y'all come back now, ya hear?"

Received from Pastor Tim.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Killer Jigsaw Puzzle

A blonde called her boyfriend and said, "Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get it started."

Her boyfriend asked, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?" The blonde said, "According to the picture on the box, it's a tiger."

Her boyfriend decided to go over and help with the puzzle. She let him in and showed him where she had the puzzle spread all over the table. He studied the pieces for a moment, then looked at the box, then turned to her and said, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a tiger."

He took her hand and said, "Second, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of hot chocolate and then," he sighed, "let's put all these frosted flakes back in the box."

Received from Mary Seal
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-=+=-
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"Compromise, if not the spice of life, is its solidity. It is what makes nations great and marriages happy." - Phyllis McGinley

~~~ Share and Share Alike! ~~~

The little old couple walked slowly into McDonalds that cold winter evening. They looked out of place amidst the young families and young couples eating there that night. Some of the customers looked admiringly at them, thinking, "Look, there is a couple who has been in love most their lives, 60 years or more!" As the woman took a table near the back, the little old man walked right up to the cash register, placed his order with no hesitation, paid for their meal and carried the tray to the table... one hamburger, one order of french fries, and one drink. The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half, then carefully counted out the french fries, dividing them into two piles. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them. As the man began to eat his few bites of hamburger the crowd began to get restless, now thinking, "That poor old couple. All they can afford is one meal for the two of them."

As the man began to eat his french fries one young man stood and came over to the old couples table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple to eat. The old man replied that they were just fine - they were used to sharing everything. The young man noticed that the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite, but was just occasionally taking her turn sipping the drink. Again, the young man offered to let him buy them something more to eat. This time, the little old lady explained that no, they were used to sharing everything together. As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face with a napkin the young man could stand it no longer. He finally asked the little old lady. "Ma'am, why aren't you eating. You said that you share everything... what are waiting for?"

She looked at him sweetly and answered, "the teeth."

- As told by Owner-LaughALot@ListFarm.com
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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

Piranha Spell

While my third-grade class was completing a writing exercise, one of the students asked me how to spell "piranha."

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

That's when I overheard another pupil say to him,

"Why bother to look it up? She doesn't know how to spell it anyway."

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

Miles and Eggs

The teacher noticed that Al had been daydreaming for a long time. She decided to get his attention.

"Al," she said, "If the world is 25,000 miles around and eggs are sixty cents a dozen, how old am I?

"Thirty-four," Al answered unhesitatingly.

The teacher replied "Well, that's not far from my actual age. Tell me...how did you guess?"

"Oh, there's nothing to it," Al said. "My big sister is seventeen and she's only half-crazy."

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

Half Diet

A woman in our diet club was lamenting that she had gained weight. She'd made her family's favorite cake over the weekend, she reported, and they'd eaten half of it at dinner.

The next day, she said, she kept staring at the other half, until finally she cut a thin slice for herself. One slice led to another, and soon the whole cake was gone.

The woman went on to tell us how upset she was with her lack of willpower, and how she knew her husband would be disappointed. Everyone commiserated, until someone asked what her husband said when he found out.

She smiled. "He never found out. I made another cake and ate half!"

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

Scheduled Shot

At a golf course, four men approached the sixteenth tee. The straight fairway ran along a road and bike path fenced off on the left.

The first golfer teed off and hooked the ball in that direction. The ball went over the fence and bounced off the bike path onto the road, where it hit the tire of a moving bus and was knocked back on to the fairway.

As they all stood in amazement, one man asked him, "How on earth did you do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "You have to know the bus schedule."

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

Matching Shoes

John and Nancy were married for 40 years and decided they wanted to renew their vows and planned a second wedding.

They were discussing the details with their friends. Nancy wasn't going to wear a traditional bridal gown and she started describing the dress she was planning to wear. One of her friends asked what color shoes she had to go with the dress.

Nancy replied, "Silver."

At that point, her husband chimed in, "Yep silver...to match her hair."
Shooting a glaring look at John's bald spot, Nancy's friend said, "So, John, I guess you are going barefoot."

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

*Eye Laugh*

"Holy Kiss"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw376

"Limo Perk"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw627

"Plane Perk"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw628

"Vulcan Theology"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw629

"Tank Bunker"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw630

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/notable01-05a.html#02-13-05 - - "Dear Scotty -- Mad Kane Applies For White House Press Credentials Dear Scotty: I've always fantasized about being a White House correspondent. But until now, I've never sought so lofty a position because -- silly me -- I assumed you had to be an actual journalist..."
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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Yahoo Reference - - http://education.yahoo.com/reference/ - - Whether you're a student, a parent, or just plain curious, Yahoo! Reference offers a handy selection of books and materials to help you find the information you need. Look up a definition in the dictionary, find map and flag images for every country in the world in the World Factbook, get in-depth information from the encyclopedia, and much more.
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"Tiny single-celled organisms, many of them previously unknown, have been discovered beneath nearly seven miles of water in the deepest part of the ocean. A sample of sediment collected from the Challenger Deep southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean Islands yielded several hundred foraminifera, a type of plankton that is usually abundant near the ocean surface. 'On the species level, all the species we found from the Challenger Deep are quite new,' researcher Hiroshi Kitazato said vie e-mail. The outer shapes are similar to other known foraminifera, but details of their structure differ, explained Kitazato, of the Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology."
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Valentine's Day: February 14 - - http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts-for-features-special-editions/003147.html - - One legend has it that Valentin's Day originated to commemorate the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who was executed on Feb. 14, about 270 A.D., for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the emperor. According to another, the holiday began as a Roman fertility festival. Americans probably began exchanging handmade valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, began to sell the nation's first mass-produced valentine cards.
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The History of Valentine's Day - - http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/ - - Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day - and its patron saint - is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance as this History Channel site explains. Related site: How Valentine's Day Works - - http://people.howstuffworks.com/valentine.htm
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"Even as the jobs picture slowly improves - the unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent in January - career seekers should still focus in on its brightest parts. Many fields are likely to grow, even if employment markets stagnate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes projections of where job opportunities will be found in the future, in order to help people entering the work force or planning a career change. One factor creating opportunities is the aging of America. As baby boomers, 77 million strong, approach retirement age, they've started to consume a host of services and products that are different from what they used at a younger age. Even though boomers may remain active far longer than the generations that preceded them, they'll still have to cope with a variety of health and wellness issues. Many of the fastest growing employment opportunities are in health care. Nurses, physical therapists, and physician's assistants jobs are all increasing steadily, sometimes spectacularly."
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Do You Speak American? - - http://www.pbs.org/speak/ - - Companion web site to the PBS special. Why is the English spoken by Maine lobstermen so different from that spoken by cowboys in Texas? Does Spanish pose a threat to English as the dominant language in America? And what on earth do yins, wickety wack, ayuh, catty whompus, and stomping it clean mean? Robert MacNeil travels cross-country to answer these questions and examine the dynamic state of American English - a language rich with regional variety, strong global impact and cultural controversy.
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"Ten years ago, a crucial study proved that a drug could limit the damage from one of nature's biggest train wrecks: a blood clot stuck inside the head. TPA remains the sole drug approved for strokes. Yet only about 3 percent of victims get it. Usually that's because they don't seek help until it's too late for the drug to do any good - three hours after symptoms start. However, fresh research documents disturbing problems that keep this lifesaving treatment from reaching the roughly one in five stroke victims who do seek help in time."
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Findory News: Personalized News - - http://www.findory.com/ - - Findory News is a newspaper built just for you. Other web news sites show the same news to everyone, but not everyone is the same. Findory News shows you articles that you want to see. It adapts to your reading habits and emphasizes news articles from around the world that are most likely to be interesting to you. Following the world events? Findory News will show you more articles about world events, even focusing on the particular parts of the world you seem to be interested in. Following the presidential elections? Findory News will favor articles on the presidential campaigns, even emphasizing the campaigns you've been reading about. By paying attention to the news you've read recently, Findory.com finds the news articles you don't want to miss.
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"Take two hikes and call me in the morning. It may sound like an unusual prescription, but it's an increasingly common one at a hospital where physical fitness is part of doctor's orders for patients battling obesity. The effort is the result of an unusual partnership between physicians and hiking enthusiasts. Just a few months old and already earning praise, the program involves several dozen doctors writing detailed, albeit symbolic, prescriptions for getting fit and then giving patients trail maps to accomplish it. 'The idea is to make a more specific explanation,' said Dr. Charles Brackett, director of the program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. 'You can say, 'Walk this trail near your house twice a day,' as opposed to, 'You're supposed to exercise more.' ''
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Online Medical Symptom Checker - - http://www.symptom.webmd.com/ - - Need information as you determine what to do about your symptoms? Get help figuring them out by answering a series of questions. This tool by WebMD provides general information and recommendations, and may not address specific individual circumstances. Do not rely on it exclusively to make decisions about your health. Always consult your doctor for personal medical advice.
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"A diet rich in fiber and vegetables lowered cholesterol just as much as taking a statin drug, Canadian researchers reported on February 7, 2005. They said people who cannot tolerate the statin drugs because of side-effects can turn to the diet, which they said their volunteers could easily follow. David Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto and colleagues created what they called a diet "portfolio" high in soy protein, almonds, and cereal fiber as well as plant sterols -- tree-based compounds used in cholesterol-lowering margarines, salad dressing and other products. They tested their diet on 34 overweight men and women, comparing it with a low-fat diet and with a normal diet plus a generic statin drug, lovastatin."'
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Keep It Simple - - http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,117409,00.asp - -Cut the clutter on your PC and you can stop aggravations before they begin. This site by PC World magazine provides 50 tips that show you how to simplify Windows and your system from startup to shutdown.
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"Confirming the wisdom of the poets and philosophers, doctors say the sudden death of a loved one really can cause a broken heart. In fact, they have dubbed the condition 'broken heart syndrome.' In a study published just in time for Valentine's Day, doctors reported how a tragic or shocking event can stun the heart and produce classic heart attack-like symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs. Unlike a heart attack, the condition is reversible. Patients often are hospitalized but typically recover within days after little more than bedrest and fluids, and suffer no permanent damage to their hearts. In their study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors at Johns Hopkins University gave a name to the condition, demonstrated through sophisticated heart tests how it differs from a heart attack, and offered an explanation for what causes it. For centuries, doctors have known that emotional shocks can trigger heart attacks and sudden deaths. Broken heart syndrome, technically known as stress cardiomyopathy, is a different phenomenon."'
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"This scenario is all too familiar to office workers who collaborate electronically on projects: E-mails get passed around with differing versions of documents-in-progress attached. Instant messages whizz by. Web sites are cited, then lost. It's often a jumbled mess, with no central online location for shared data. There must be a better way. A new crop of tools aims to help turn the Web - be it on the public Internet or a company network - into much more than a collection of documents one visits like a museum: Look, but don't touch. The idea is to make it easy to quickly post and remove stuff from digital bulletin boards where the online communities of the future will gather to catch up and trade ideas, images and work."
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Family First - - http://www.familyfirst.com/ - - Welcome to FamilyFirst.com, the web's oldest and leading site for family-friendly web site reviews. Since 1995, we've reviewed over 2000 sites. You may search our database for sites, or check back each day for a new site.
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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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INTERNET SAFETY

With most of us having computers readily accessible to our children at home, it is very important that we train our children and make them aware what they can and can not do while cruising the internet. Some internet service providers have lock out controls which allows parents to control the access to certain sites. It is important that you take advantage of these safety controls if they are available to you.

Recently, a 13-year-old girl from Zachary, LA was abducted by an internet predator. Luckily, the girl was found safe several days later in a different state and the predator was apprehended. For your children's safety, emphasize and discuss the following safety precautions with your children:

· First, remember never to give out personal information such as name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a chat room or on bulletin boards.
· Never send a picture of yourself to someone you chat with on the computer without a parent's permission.
· Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared.
· Do not meet someone or have them visit you without the parent's permission.
· Tell your parents right away if you read anything on the internet that make you feel uncomfortable.
· Remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Someone who says that "he" is a "12-year-old girl" could really be an older man.
~~
Safety From The Heart
February18, 2005
Today's Message is from Stuart Turnbull, a Houston Albemarle employee
(submitted on 12/3/2004).

While traveling home from work the other day, I was passed by a vehicle that sounded like a train coming. As the vehicle passed me, I understood the reason for the unusual noise. There was no right front tire on the car and it was running on the rim.

Now this driver obviously had other problems, but it did remind me of one of the most dangerous situations that a driver can be forced into, that of having to change a tire on the side of the road.

It's a good idea to carry the proper insurance and leave the tire changing to the professional. But, no matter who has to change the tire, there are a few simple safety tips that should always be followed.

If you encounter a flat tire while driving, never stop on the inside, or left side, of the roadway. Pull as far as you safely can off the right side of the road before coming to a stop. If you are driving at night, try to reach a well lighted area before coming to a stop, hopefully one that is well populated, where you will not be alone.

I have found that if you have a blow out while driving, most of the time the tire is damaged beyond repair, so I advise my family to pull to the far right side of the road, slow down, put on your emergency flashers and continue to drive, safely, to an area where you feel safe before coming to a stop.

You can always replace a tire, but you can never replace a life.
~~
Safety From The Heart
February 17, 2005
Why Take a Chance?
Have you ever made a decision to break a safety rule? How long did it take for you to reach that decision? What did you gain by taking a chance? It only takes a moment to decide to break a safety rule, yet that one moment could change your life forever. This Safety Topic offers you an opportunity to think about your personal safety behavior, both on and off the job. We'll talk specifically about taking safety risks, your personal commitment to safety, and what you can do to keep that commitment strong. Do you always work safely? Are you 100% committed to the safety of yourself, your coworkers, friends, and family? Are there times when your commitment to safety is not as strong as it should be? Have you been taking risks and getting away with it? Don't expect your luck to hold. No one ever plans an accident. An accident, by definition, is an unplanned event. No one wakes up in the morning and drives to work thinking, "I will have an accident today so I'd better buckle up." No one ever climbs to the very top of a ladder and knows for sure they won't fall. That's why it's so important to have a personal commitment to safety; a commitment to do the right things to prevent an accident--or minimize the damage done in case an accident does occur.
What is gained by taking a chance? Think about a time when you've risked your personal safety. Have you ever bypassed lockout-tagout procedures?
Have you ever driven a car after you had too much to drink? Have you failed to use fall-protection equipment because it was just too much trouble? What did you gain in that situation? A minute of time, an ounce of convenience? Now honestly ask yourself if those gains were worth it.
Is a little bit of time or convenience really worth chancing electrocution, a car accident, or a bad fall? Don't sacrifice your healthy future by taking a chance. Every time you're tempted to take a chance with your safety ask yourself if it's really worth the risk. Your family and friends will thank you for making the right decision.
Keeping a strong commitment to safety is not easy. What interferes with your commitment to safety? Is peer pressure a problem? Do your peers think it's silly to take time for safety? You can set a safe example for your peers. Consider taking a stand for safety. By committing to safety 100% of the time, you can help reverse the peer pressure that sometimes causes unsafe behavior. Keep up this exemplary behavior. Someday you may find that the old peer pressure has given way to something new-the respect of your peers earned by setting a safe example.
It's normal for your commitment to safety to fluctuate. Sometimes it's strong, at other times it's weak. Unfortunately, it tends to be strong just after a close call, or perhaps for a few days after you hear of an accident. Then the commitment wanes, only to be strengthened again by another tragedy. Simply recognizing this pattern can help you avoid it. Think about your work habits. Have there been times when you're more likely to take a risk? How about those times when you've been extra careful? Did the strength of your safety commitment depend on an outside event-like another person being involved in an accident?
You can keep your commitment to safety strong by remembering the commitment is for you. If you allow things that happen to other people determine the strength of your commitment, it is likely to fluctuate a lot. You can always learn from things that happen to other people, but to keep your commitment strong all the time, stay focused on your personal safety and those things you do that affect it.
Having a personal commitment to safety and keeping it strong are more important than any safety program, procedure, or rule. In fact, programs, procedures, and rules depend on a strong personal commitment to safety. Ask yourself where you are with your own safety attitude and behavior. Are you 100% committed to safety, 100% of the time? You are? Great! Need some improvement? Promise yourself to work on it-and keep that promise. You'll be glad you did.
http://www.webworldinc.com/wes-con/chance.htm
~~
Safety From The Heart
February 15, 2005
Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Ron Kneisler.
Gun Safety

Recently my nephew was over at a friend's house when they were looking at his friend's BB gun. The gun went off and a BB struck my nephew in the eye. We are not sure if he will have permanent damage and will just have to wait to see how his eye heals.

Children should be trained to have a healthy respect for weapons of any kind including those that many consider to be suitable for kids. Even if weapons are not in your household, your children still need to be taught about the dangers of guns. Weapons should always be treated as if they are loaded.

Ron
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Thanks to Sam Boggs for sharing this
~
I'm sending the attached to those in my address book who I'm pretty confident support and respect and care about our guys in the military. I think you'll find it a very moving letter.
Sam

In the Fight Applause in the Airport? Beyond the Beer Commercial ... It Happens ... It Really Happens

By Matt Friedeman, PhD
February 10, 2005

(AgapePress) - Rick from Winona, Mississippi, called my state-wide talk radio program this week. Sometimes, you get a phone call that ought to be read in the broader market.

On the program that day we were discussing the report that some Europeans were disgusted with the Super Bowl commercial of American soldiers getting applause in an airport. The critics thought it too extreme in its patriotism and a possible incitement to further war.

At any rate, Rick (he asked us not to use his full name) called to talk about his experience coming back recently from the fields of war. His words (and they are worth your time reading, only lightly edited):

"I heard you talking about the Super Bowl commercial. I'm a Marine, a re-con Marine. I just got back from overseas, the second week of December, actually. I was injured overseas, so that's why I'm home now.

"But the whole time I was [there, in recovery] we watched the news to see what's going on. And we saw the protests, and we saw what the media was saying about what's going on, and we were worried about what we were actually going to face when we came home. We didn't know what to expect, to be honest with you. From the news media we were seeing, the whole country was basically telling us we're a bunch of jerks.

"I thank God that the troops that are there don't see the news coverage. I thank God every day, because there'd be ten times the number getting killed, just because it would so un-motivate [sic] them.

"Back to the story: there were seven other soldiers that came home with me that day. We flew into JFK, and we were talking on the way back: What's going to happen? What will we be facing? Is it going to be like the Vietnam era, are there going to be people spitting at us?

"We didn't know. We had that much trepidation about it.

"We get into JFK, we step out of the breezeway into the main terminal, and directly in front of us was an elderly gentleman carrying a bag. And he immediately stopped, set his bag down, and the first thing we all thought was, 'Oh, Lord, here we go already.' He just stopped and looked at us for a second, and then tears came to his eyes and he saluted us.

"And -- I'm breaking up now [editor's note: with tears] -- every one of us just started crying like babies. Everybody in the terminal -- I kid you not, at least two to three hundred people -- just started clapping, spontaneously. To me, it was so much worth what we were doing, to realize that people over here actually get what we were doing. We weren't over there because it's fun. We're over there doing a job.

"When I saw the Super Bowl commercial, I just started bawling like a baby again because that was something totally unexpected. We had no idea that people actually appreciated what we're doing, from what we see on the news. We thought we were going to come back and get eggs thrown at us. It was so refreshing to know that what we were seeing on the news is just a bunch of garbage that's being concocted by the media, that 99.9 percent of the country doesn't believe that way.

"I have a couple of more months of recovery. I got hit with a concussion and have some internal damage, but I'm feeling up, doing well, and hopefully I can get back over there with my boys."

It caused some tears in this talk show host's eyes to know there were tears in his. Appreciation, smiles, handclaps -- they can go a long way when a nation is at war, regardless of what the media and some Europeans might think. Matt Friedeman (mfriedeman@wbs.edu) is a professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary. Respond to this column at his blog at "In the Fight."
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Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young
I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young
I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young
I just looked around and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good in you and me?
And we'll be free
Someday soon
It's gonna be one day

Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walking up o'er the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John

Background: Abraham, Martin, and John The song Abraham, Martin and John was written in 1968. Words & Lyrics by: Dion Demucii Arranged by: Richard Holler.
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The Concert

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit.""Keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played.

Only the classic,

" Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.

We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."

May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called.' Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire. So touch someone by passing this little message along.

May God bless you and be with you always!

and remember,

"Don't quit."

"Keep playing."

Thanks to Waneta
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TOURBUS Volume 10, Number 50 -- 16 Feb 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Tourbus Forums - http://forums.TOURBUS.com
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Today's Tourbus Topics: MS and Norton Updates / Firefox Fixes It's update time! If you have Windows XP and/or if you use Internet Explorer 6, fire up Internet Explorer and run Windows Update by either choosing Tools > Windows Update or going to

http://www.windowsupdate.com/

in IE. Microsoft released a dozen patches last week, eight of which are critical. Run the Express Install and get all the critical updates--I think I ended up downloading a total of 10 updates on my XP Pro laptop--and be prepared to restart your computer when you are finished. Make sure to run Windows Update a second time just to double-check you have all of the available updates.

If you have Norton Antivirus--or, for that matter, almost any other Symantec product--make sure to manually run Live Update by opening your Symantec or Norton product and clicking on the Live Update button as soon as possible. There is a flaw in a bunch of Norton/Symantec products that could potentially cause those products to open and run a virus rather than kill it. Eeek! Fortunately, there's a patch that fixes this flaw. And, of course, Symantec's patch requires you to restart your computer when you are finished. :(

--------------------------------------------
Fixing Firefox
Audience: All Firefox users on all platforms
--------------------------------------------

Now let's deal with that browser URL [actually "IDN homographic"] spoofing vulnerability we talked about last week. If you missed my last post, can find a pretty-ified version of it [with pictures and everything!] at

http://netsquirrel.com/articles/mozilla-spoofing.html

Through this IDN homographic spoofing vulnerability criminals could trick you into thinking you're at a legitimate web site--PayPal, for example--when instead you're at a site created by the criminal to collect sensitive financial information from you. This vulnerability affects

- Camino
- Epiphany
- Firefox
- Galeon
- Konqueror
- Mozilla
- Netscape Navigator
- Opera
- Safari

on both the PC and Mac platforms. But it does *NOT* affect Internet Explorer.

That's it for today. Have a safe and happy week, and we'll talk again soon.
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Verse Of The Day ~=~ Harley E. Hudson

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us …
Ephesians 3:20 (NASB)
“Harley, all of this sounds sweet, but this is totally impossible. There is no way that what you have told me is ever going to happen in my life.”

Ok. I hear you loud and clear. I might even agree with you, especially if it was my teaching about what I thought. I am NOT a prophet, nor an outstanding theologian. I’m just a simple man doing what I believe I need to be doing.

However, take a look at today’s verses. “Now to Him who is able …” I am not able. You are not able. We, with all of our combined efforts are not able. I agree with you on that. I cannot make myself into even ONE of the things we have talked about. There is absolutely no way I can make ALL of them happen … but God can. His powers are limitless. He, the creator of everything we see around us and billions of things we cannot even imagine exist, He has the power to do whatever He says He will do.

If He wants to create a new moon around earth, He can. He created the original. If He wants to create a “super human” with astronomical strength, He can. He created the original. If He wants to keep the traffic moving in front of us as we commute to or from work, He can. If He wants to help us to things that we think are impossible, like heart transplants, and send man to the moon, and invent computers that can talk to each other, and cure AIDS, He can. He is God.

So, what keeps God, if He wants to, from adopting us into His family? What keeps God from giving us part, or all, of His riches? What keeps God from giving us vast wisdom and knowledge? What keeps God from directing our paths in His righteous ways? What keeps God from giving us His DNA? What keeps God from looking at us and seeing Jesus? He can do it … and He wants to do it!

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think …” Come to think about it, there is nothing God can’t do if He wants to do it. Go ahead. Can you think of anything that God can’t do? Can you? Oh, you don’t think He can cure your cancer? He can, if He wants to. But have you ever thought that He might want you to learn something because of your cancer? Instead of worrying and fretting about dying and leaving three kids and a wife (or husband), do you think He might prefer that you take what time you have left and LOVE your kids and spouse more? Do you think He might want you to help others with cancer see that dying doesn’t have to be a scary trip into the unknown? Do you think that He might want you to be a testimony to your world about what God can do with a disease ravaged body belonging to a person who refuses to let the disease drive him into the ground defeated and bitter, but is victorious and happy?

Go ahead. Let your mind imagine what God MIGHT do with you in your present condition. How can He use you … even in your wildest dreams? He can do even more. Now double, now multiply that wild imagination by 1,000. He can do even more than that. What hold you back? Not God. His is ready to supply ALL of your needs. All He asks is that you take the faith He has already given you and BELIEVE IN HIM … TRUST HIM with … well … yourself!

And he will do it “… according to the power that works within us.” What power is that? His power. How did we get it? Through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. And when did we get that? The day we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When Jesus redeemed us, He gave us the Spirit of God as the seal, the promise of God’s power in us!

Wow!

Harley
~=~
... so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17 - 19 (NASB)

Our grandsons have a small plastic terrarium. In that terrarium live two hermit crabs. (I could send you pictures if you wish.) We were at their house this evening for a birthday party and somewhere along the line someone brought out the terrarium. We did not “ooh and ahh” at the terrarium. We were interested in the inhabitants. The crabs are what make the terrarium interesting. It has no beauty in and of itself. As a matter of fact, it is just a mass produced, ugly box.

So it is with these “jars of clay” in which we dwell. The thing that is of real interest is what’s inside … the personality, the character, the “real us”. Unfortunately, the “real us” is usually a bit on the ugly side. We may project an image of perfection for our audience, but inside we find a heart covered with black splotches of sin. The mental image is rather revolting. Even those who love us find us unappealing at times. Some even are rejected by those who should love them most … all because the ugliness becomes too great to look upon.

What is a person to do? Today’s verses, in combination with yesterday’s, hold the answer. Remember, we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit (yesterday) so that “Christ may dwell” in our hearts “through faith” (today). When God sees us, He does not see the “plastic terrarium” in which we dwell. He doesn’t even see the ugly creature that we know dwells there. He sees the true inhabitant – His Son, the Christ!

Imagine with me for a moment that you are judging a children’s beauty pageant. It is your job to find the prettiest child in the competition in order that you can crown her/him as best of show. But, something happens when the first child steps upon the runway. Instead of seeing Bobby or Sally, you see your own precious child. You shake your head and try to cast off the vision, but the vision will not be cast off. The first child leaves and the second child steps up. You expect to see a new face, but the same thing happens … and it happens with each contestant entered into the competition. Who do you vote for? It would be impossible to choose a “winner” because each contestant is your own beloved child. They are ALL winners in you eyes.

So it is with the Father. He looks at us and sees Jesus, the apple of His eye. There is no way He could turn His back on Jesus – and we are the recipient of God’s love because of who He sees in us!

WOW! We have all the love the universe and beyond can contain. We are so loved that there is nothing that can separate us from Daddy! We are ALL WINNERS! This is what Paul means when he says that we will be able to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” of God’s love through Christ. Now I don’t expect to be able to understand it all now, but this I will tell you. I understand it better today than I did when I was twenty, or thirty, or even forty. Now I know WHY I am so loved … Father looks at me and sees Jesus.

What do you put in the column? “I have Christ dwelling in me … and I am loved like God loves Jesus.” That’s a big one! You might want to underline it.

Harley
~=~
… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man …
Eph 3:16 (NASB)

Big things come in small packages. Mighty Mouse always defeated his foe – and a mouse is always small. Popeye always bested Brutus even though Brutus was twice the size of Popeye. Even a one karat diamond is small, but what a victory to the man who gives it to his beloved. It is not the outside of the package that counts, it is what’s inside. Mighty Mouse and Popeye were powerful because of what was inside them, right and good. The diamond holds great power because of what is inside, sparkle.

Paul says we are strong – not because we are big and though, but because of what is inside. It’s ironic that no matter how big the man or how tough the woman, the soft heart is what makes them strong in Christ. We have talked much about the riches of God towards us. Today we add an additional bit of wealth. We are strong in power. Obviously that doesn’t mean we are growing into Adonises and Sheenas. Our bodies will continue to deteriorate as the years pass. And, the strength is more than mental. I do not have the knowledge trap I used to have. It is harder for me to remember things today than it was a few years ago. (If Melanie sends me to the store for more than one item, she has to write me a note!) Nor is the inner strength emotional. As a matter of fact, I am softer emotionally today that I was a few years ago. I can cry at a tender moment in a movie or TV show. I have books that have tear stains in them … on the pages with touching events. No, the strength transcends any of these possibilities.

Paul’s “inner man” refers to the spirit that lies within me. We all have one, spirit that is. For the non-believer, the spirit lies dying and perhaps dead because of its separation from God. It is only through accepting Jesus as Savior that the spirit of a man begins to come alive. As we grow closer to God, our spirit becomes more viable, more powerful. God’s gift to us from His storehouse is spiritual strength. Now in THAT I am a stronger man today than I was ten years ago. I have insights into God’s Word that I did not have. I have strength and authority to do spiritual deeds that I did not have ten years ago. It is my spirit that is growing stronger in supernatural ways as I mature in the Lord. I have power and authority that I did not have even as short as a year ago!

It is comforting to an aging man to know that as most of me grows weaker, something is growing stronger … and that something has lasting value. When I was in high school, I was taught that the value of a man, chemically, was $1.97. This earthly body isn’t very valuable and will all too soon return to the dust from which it came. But the spirit that lies at my core, which, through Jesus Christ, is eternal. It will never die!

So, I can write in my “Who I Am in Christ” column that I am strong and powerful, and you can too! The next time you seem to be failing to stand tall in the face of spiritual struggles, say to yourself: “I am strong in Christ. God says that I have strength to fight this battle. He says that I have the power to WIN! Therefore, I AM STRONG. I AM POWERFUL. I AM VICTORIOUS … IN CHRIST JESUS!

Harley
~=~
Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name …
Eph 3:13 - 15 (NASB)

Ok. Ok. I have a confession to make. I am addicted to one particular TV show. Now, don’t cast me off as a great sinner because of this one weakness. As far as I can tell, this is not the unpardonable sin. Therefore, “let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” I am addicted to Alias. There, I’ve said it. It is out in the open for all to see. With that out of the way, let me explain what this has to do with today’s verses.

In Alias, Sydney Bristow has the challenge of defeating evil where ever it might be found. To do this, Sydney takes on many different identities, thus the name Alias. It is with ease that Sydney becomes a different type of woman in order to accomplish the task of a super-defender of right and justice.

Paul has spent considerable time helping us develop a new identity. With this new identity, we will be able to do what God asks us to do, whether it is taking on the powers of evil directly, or winning the lost to the Lord, or ministering love and grace, peace and mercy to a neighbor or friend who is hurting. We have talked for a long time about the characteristics of that identity in Christ. We have discovered that we are adopted into God’s family. We have had a transformation from “sinner” to “redeemed child of God.” We have been blessed with all the blessings of Abraham; blessings we would normally have no right to expect. We have had our shortcomings, our sins, forgiven. We have been given access to all the wealth that belongs to Jesus as God’s only begotten Son. We bear the likeness of the Father through Jesus so that when He, the Father, looks at us, He sees Jesus. All of this and more goes into the makeup of our new identity.

Now Paul begins to wrap up his work and closes with a series of prayers. If you recall, Paul is writing this epistle from prison. He encourages the Ephesians that they should not fret or become discouraged because of his sufferings “on your behalf”. Paul is saying that he has taken on their burdens and is imprisoned in their place. He also tells the Ephesians that this is “for your glory.” That is, Paul’s tribulations will bring about good for the Ephesians. Let me put it to you this way. You are walking down a roadway when you stumble and fall into the path of a semi. You struggle to get up, but find that you have sprained you ankle and cannot move fast enough. At the last minute, as the speeding truck approaches, a friend sees your plight, jumps to your aid, throws you out of the path and takes a glancing blow from the careening vehicle. Your ankle is soon healed. Your friend is in hospital with a broken hip and internal injuries. He did it … for your glory – your life. His suffering is on your behalf. See the similarities? Paul’s suffering will lead to the Ephesians’ betterment. Of course, we can extend that blessing to our own lives. Without Paul’s sufferings, we would not have received the Gospel at all!

Paul continues his prayer by humbling himself before the Father of us all: “from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.” Your name, my name, the angels’ names are all rooted in the God of creation. Even those who are not believers, who claim to be atheists, find their identity in God, the Father. All of our family trees, if traced back far enough, take root in one man, Adam, the one created in God’s own image, brought to life by the very breath of God as he lay, a lump of clay, on the banks of a river in the Garden of Eden. Evolutionist scientists may try to deny it. Humanists may say that they are their own gods. But the truth remains, OUR IDENTITY IS IN CHRIST. WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD!

Harley
~=~
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Eph 3:11 - 12 (NASB)

I don’t know how many of you might remember The A Team, a TV show about a group of ex-military men who did their best to right the world’s wrongs. As a need was presented the group, consisting of Hannibal, Face-man, B.A. Baracus, and company, flew (well B.A. hated flying) into action. Hannibal, the team’s fearless leader and chief organizer, always had a “plan”. Of course the “plan” always fell apart, usually in the first minutes of the show. However, by the end of the allotted sixty-minute airtime the team had accomplished the mission. Invariably, Hannibal would close the episode, huge stogie in hand, with these famous words: “I love it when a plan comes together.”

While The A Team was less than “expert”, they were entertaining. The other day, I had to call the plumbers to come to my rescue. As two young apprentice plumbers entered the building, they introduced themselves as “The A Team”! I looked them squarely in the eyes and said, “I remember The A Team, and that doesn’t inspire a great deal of confidence.” They were competent and accomplished the task at hand in good order – and cleaned up after themselves as well!

Isn’t it refreshing when someone has a plan – and the plan actually works! It seems the experience becomes rarer as the years go by.

We have been discussing God’s mystery and His plan to reveal it to the world through the apostles. Isn’t it refreshing to know that God knows what He is doing … and had it planned from the beginning of eternity? (Isn’t that an interesting oxymoron?) Yet, that is exactly what Paul tells us. “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out …” (italics are mine). God had a plan for when man would fail – and He knew man would fail. It was just a matter of time. So God had a plan … and the plan works!

God used various characters along the line to move His plan along. He chose Abraham to father a particular nation. He chose David to establish a particular genetic line. He reinforced the idea of redemption through a Savior using the prophets. Then, at just the right time, He introduced His very own Son who would mirror the actions of Abraham and Isaac and would offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

Jesus, though a Jew, did not die for the sins of the Jewish people alone. That would not have accomplished God’s purpose. Even though the Apostles tried their best to prevent the Gospel from reaching the Gentiles, God directed Peter to Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile. Then, when the Apostles were still reluctant to leave Jerusalem, God scattered the new Christians throughout Judea, Samaria, and “the uttermost parts of the earth.” When these same Apostles stayed behind in Jerusalem, God spoke in a miraculous way to a man named Saul who was “hell bent” on destroying this new sect. Saul’s Damascus road encounter with Jesus eventually led Saul, who became Paul, to become the “apostle to the Gentiles”. And in this way God has reached down to us, you and me, and our friends and our neighbors.

Don’t you just love it when God’s plan comes together?

Oh! There’s more. See the “in Christ” in today’s verses? What do we see about ourselves here? What can we add to our growing list? “…we have boldness and confident access …” Ah. Boldness and confident access are ours through faith in Christ Jesus. There it is. Grab it and hold on. You are BOLD in Jesus. You have CONFIDENT ACCESS through Jesus. Don’t feel bold? Doesn’t matter how you FEEL. What matters is what you ARE. You are bold. God says you are. You have confident access to Him through Jesus – even if you feel timid and shy. Go ahead. Add both to your list – and then consider all that you have and are in Christ. Remember, you bear the DNA of Jesus! You may feel like a worm, but you have the boldness of Jesus. You have the faith of Jesus. You have the riches of Jesus. You have the power of Jesus. You have all that Jesus has. Use it as God directs.

Harley
~=~

c. 2005 Harley E. Hudson

If you received Verse of the Day as a forward and you wish to have your own subscription, simply send an e-mail to hhudson719@earthlink.net and request a free subscription.
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TGIF-Today God Is First

Weapons of Warfare
-----------------------------------------------------
Friday, February 18, 2005
by Os Hillman

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. ~ Joel 3:10a

In this third chapter of Joel, we hear the prophet describe a time yet to come. It will be a time of great harvest on the earth, and this verse describes the catalyst. A plowshare is an agricultural instrument used to till the soil. At this point in history, it was a tool that spoke of one's vocation. However, the prophet was speaking of a time yet to come. The prophet described the plowshare as an instrument that will be turned into a sword. The sword is often used in the Bible to describe God's Word. The only way a plowshare can be turned into a sword is for it to go through extreme heat, and then the blacksmith must beat that plowshare into shape. Heat and punishment of the metal turns that plowshare into an instrument of battle. God must do this in each of our lives in order for us to be useable as a worthy sword. We are all in a battle - a spiritual battle. Paul describes our battle as one against the principalities of the unseen world. I believe God is going to rise up many in the workplace to use their plowshare as a weapon of righteousness in these last days. That weapon won't be used for destruction, but as a weapon of love. That weapon of love will yield a great harvest in our lifetime. But this is only part of the story.

God is also going to turn our pruning hooks into spears. A pruning hook is used in two ways. First, it is used to prune a tree for greater growth and productivity. It is also used to cut the fruit from taller trees in which one cannot reach the fruit. This fruit from our vocation is going to be cast forth like a spear, but even more as seed planted to bring the harvest of which Joel speaks. Fruit from our work life is often the financial rewards generated. God wants to use our finances and everything else for His purposes. We must use our vocations and the fruit that comes from them as seed to bring the great harvest that God is planning.

How are you using your plowshare and your pruning hook for God's glory today? Ask God to show you how He wants to use your skills, resources, and relationships to prepare for the great harvest He has planned.

---------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org
---------------------------------------------------
To contact Os Hillman, request reprint permission, or to book Os to speak in your town write to os@marketplaceleaders.org. Marketplace Leaders Website: http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/ Copyright 2004
--------------------------------------------------
Please recommend this TGIF daily devotional to everyone interested in applying their faith to their worklife. Tell them to subscribe at http://www.TodayGodIsFirst.com
Os Hillman Copyright 2004
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NewsScan Daily, 2005 ("Above The Fold")
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NewsScan Daily is underwritten by RLG, a world-class organization making significant and sustained contributions to the effective management and appropriate use of information technology. NSD is written by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas, editors@NewsScan.com.
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"ABOVE THE FOLD"

MUSIC PLAYERS NOT JUST A TEEN THING
iPods and MP3 players have been heavily marketed toward the teen market, but a surprising number of grownups have latched onto portable music as well. A new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reveals that more than 22 million Americans 18 or older (11% of the adult population) own a portable music player, with male owners outnumbering female (14% vs. 9%). Almost one in five (19%) of iPod/MP3 player owners are under 30, and among the older crowd, those with teenagers in the house are more likely than those without to own their own music players. Not surprisingly, people with higher incomes and those with broadband Internet access are more likely to own a portable music player than those without. And those who have broadband access both at home and at work (31%) are most likely of all to own iPod/MP3 players. Pew's report concludes that portable music players appeal to adults because they are easy to use; there is so much music is available on the Internet; and they empower users to become their own DJs. (Pew Internet & American Life Project 14 Feb 2005)


'THE NEW FORMAT IS NO FORMAT'
Music lovers may well be wondering why it is they're required to buy the same song over and over again in different formats (think vinyl, 8-track, cassette, CD, etc.) and one music industry veteran predicts that cycle is coming to an end. "The new format is no format. What the consumer would buy is a data file, and you could create whatever you need. If you want to make an MP3, you make an MP3. If you want a DVD-Audio surround disc, you make that," says George Petersen, editorial director of Mix magazine. The numbers seem to support Petersen's prediction: during the second half of 2004 more than 91 million digital tracks were sold, compared with 19.2 million in the same period in 2003 -- an increase of 376%. And Apple, which reports total iPod sales between 10 and 11 million since its launch in 2001, notes that 8.2 million of those sales took place last year. Meanwhile, record labels who predicted digital music would be the death of them are seeing CD sales up 2.3% last year, compared with 2003. Petersen says music merchants need to capitalize on the digital trend and should consider offering services for customers who might not have the latest technology at home, such as burning CDs for them and offering high-resolutions graphics for a jewel case. "Why aren't record stores using the Internet? If you keep things old-school, you are going to die."
(Washington Post 13 Feb 2005)


MICROSOFT PROBES SPYWARE ATTACK
Microsoft Corp is investigating a malicious program that attempts to turn off the company's newly released anti-spyware software for Windows computers. Stephen Toulouse, a Microsoft security program manager, said yesterday that the program, known as "Bankash-A Trojan," could attempt to disable or delete the spyware removal tool and suppress warning messages. It also may try to steal online banking passwords or other personal information by tracking a user's keystrokes. To be attacked, Toulouse said a user would have to be fooled into opening an email attachment that would then start the malicious program. (The Age 11 Feb 2005) rec'd from John Lamp, Deakin U.


'SMART' DRIVER'S LICENSES A TROJAN HORSE?
A move by Congress to endorse a Republican-backed measure that would compel states to redesign their driver's licenses by 2008 to comply with standards for making them electronically readable has critics questioning government's motives, saying it gives the Department of Homeland Security carte blanche to do nearly anything "to protect the national security interests of the United States." Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) says, "Supporters claim it is not a national ID because it is voluntary. However, any state that opts out will automatically make nonpersons out of its citizens. They will not be able to fly or to take a train." Proponents of the Real ID Act say it reflects the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and will help in the battle against terrorism and efforts to identify illegal immigrants. But Paul says, "In reality, this bill is a Trojan horse. It pretends to offer desperately needed border control in order to stampede Americans into sacrificing what is uniquely American: our constitutionally protected liberty." (CNet News.com 14 Feb 2005)


GOOD VIBRATIONS DELIVER DATA
As computer processors are getting faster and faster, the time it takes to retrieve data from a computer's hard disk is still a bottleneck. The problem is physics -- hard disks spin at between 5,400 and 15,000 rpm, and if they went any faster, the forces generated could shatter the plastic. Enter Dataslide, which proposes to abandon rotation in favor of vibration. The company has a prototype drive that contains a rectangular plate coated with magnetic storage material similar to what's used in disk drives. A second plate hovers above with an array of heads that have been lithographed on to its surface using the technique used to make the pixels in LCD screens. Instead of spinning under the heads, the lower plate vibrates from side to side at 600 times per second, a process that inventor Charles Barnes says delivers data 10 times faster than the 15,000 rpm rotating disk drive. Barnes envisions tweaking his product to increase the frequency of vibration to 100,000 a second -- equivalent to a disk rotating at 12 million rpm. (The Economist 10 Feb 2005)


MOBISODES: SMALLER THAN A BREADBASKET
Three new original action series (one produced by the creators of the TV show "24") have been developed for showing exclusively on Verizon's newest mobile phone and for distribution over that company's V Cast, a high-speed cellular phone network that delivers broadband Internet-quality video. Each of the one-minute mobile episodes (called "mobisodes") is specially shot and edited for cellphone screens. Cingular and Sprint currently offer video as well, but Verizon's content is sent over a third-generation network known as EV-DO so that the video on V Cast runs at closer to 30 frames per second -- the same as broadcast television. But is the screen just too small to watch shows on? Gary Newman of 20 Century Fox Television says: "When you're holding it 10 or 12 inches away from you, it doesn't feel too small." And on the general subject of screen size, media services company executive Stacey Lynn Koerner notes: "You've got half the population going out and buying 60-inch television screens, and the other half is pulling down content onto smaller and smaller devices like phones and PDAs and iPods. You have the need to have enormous immersive experiences, and you also have the need to take your own personal entertainment experience with you everywhere you go." Whatever. (New York Times 15 Feb 2005)


VERIZON BUYS MCI: BIGGER THAN A BREADBASKET
Verizon says it plans to buy long-distance phone company MCI for $6.75 billion, and analysts expect the deal will get approved by federal and state regulatory agencies. Industry analyst Jay Pultz of the Gartner research firm predicts, "This is going to be the biggest change in the industry in 21 years [when the government forced the breakup of AT&T's phone industry monopoly]. All the services will be primarily under the umbrella of behemoths." What will that mean to price competition? Pultz says it means that "prices aren't going to be in the free fall they have been." (Washington Post 14 Feb 2005)


CHINA'S CRACKDOWN ON INTERNET CAFES
Chinese authorities shut down more than 12,575 Internet cafes in the last three months of 2004 to create a "safer environment for young people in China," according to the Xinhua News Agency. With 87 million people online, China has the world's second-largest population of Internet users (after the U.S.), and the government actively promotes Internet use for business and education. However, communist authorities block access to Web sites they deem pornographic or subversive and Internet cafes are banned from operating near schools. (AP/Washington Times 14 Feb 2005)


NETWORK VANDAL FACES 10 YEARS IN PRISON
David Jeansonne, a 44-year-old Louisiana man, faces up to ten years in prison for hacking into WebTV. Jeansonne has pleaded guilty to having sent e-mail messages to about 20 subscribers in 2002, advising the recipients that they could change the display colors on their screens -- but in fact secretly resetting their dial-in telephone number so that they called 911 instead of the local modem telephone number when they tried to access WebTV. (San Jose Mercury News 14 Feb 2005)


LOOKING FOR DEALS: THE TREND TOWARD MERGERS
A national survey conducted for the accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton has found that 4 in 10 technology companies anticipate a change in ownership within the next decade, whereas only 3 in 10 of all companies nationally feel the same. Among those who expect this change, 39 percent believe a merger is most likely, while 30 percent anticipate a trade sale. The study was conducted for Grant Thornton by the research group Harris Interactive.

A KEYLESS FUTURE
Some luxury vehicles don't have an ignition key slot anymore and residential-door-hardware companies are marketing push-button entry systems for homes. Kevin Kraus of the door hardware company Schlage says, "In 10 to 20 years, the key will be nothing but a backup device." Cars offering keyless systems include the Lexus GS sport sedan, Cadillac XLR and STS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Chevrolet Corvette. Although Johns Hopkins University researchers recently reported they were able to hack their way through radio-frequency security codes on cars, Texas Instruments (one of the makers of radio-frequency equipment) says it has never had a security breach. Gale Johnson, editor of the trade publication Locksmith Ledger comments, "The mechanical key is disappearing. Locksmiths today are a little like a buggy maker in 1900." (USA Today 15 Feb 2005)


VINT CERF AND ROBERT KAHN TAPPED FOR TURING PRIZE
Internet pioneers Vinton G. Cerf and Robert E. Kahn have been selected as winners of ACM's prestigious A.M. Turing Award, widely considered to be the computing field's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. The two scientists have been credited with coming up with the structure for the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP, which enable different computer networks to communicate and share information. "A lot of people are responsible for the success of the Internet. Vint and Bob are responsible for the vocabulary of the Internet," says David Patterson, computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Cerf says part of the reason the TCP/IP protocols took hold so quickly was that he and Kahn made no attempt to restrict usage or claim intellectual property rights: "It was an open standard that we would allow anyone to have access to without any constraints." Cerf and Kahn plan to split the $100,000 prize, which is named for Alan Mathison Turing, the British mathematician and cryptographer who broke German codes during WWII. (New York Times 16 Feb 2005)


TELECOM MERGERS RAISE INTERNET ACCESS CONCERNS
The recently announced mergers of AT&T and SBC and MCI and Verizon are raising concerns among both the corporate crowd and consumer groups, who note that both AT&T and MCI are major providers of "Internet backbone," the big pipes that carry most of the Internet traffic in the U.S. With the prospect of Verizon and SBC owning such a large share of the backbone, some worry that they could bundle their business services in a way that would make it impossible for rivals to compete. "Verizon and SBC are well-positioned to dominate and make it more difficult for other backbone providers to offer packages of services," says Gene Kimmelman, head of the Consumer Union's Washington office. (Washington Post 16 Feb 2005)


WIFE BROKE LAW IN USING SPYWARE
A Florida appeals court has ruled that a suspicious wife, who
installed spyware on her husband's computer to secretly monitor and record his electronic interactions with another woman, violated Florida's wiretapping law. The law says anyone who "intentionally intercepts" any "electronic communication" commits a criminal act. The wife had argued that her use of Spector spyware should be viewed as similar to reading a stored file on her husband's computer. But Judge Donald Grincewicz wrote that "because the spyware installed by the wife intercepted the electronic communication contemporaneously with transmission, copied it and routed the copy to a file in the computer's hard drive, the electronic communications were intercepted in violation of the Florida Act." (CNet News.com 15 Feb 2005)


'PEER-TO-PEER' RADIO PASSES RIAA SCRUTINY
With the pressure on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to stop enabling illegal music-swapping, several companies are trying to find ways to squeeze P2P technology into a legal framework. Mercora offers users a way to create playlists of their favorite songs and then "broadcast" them over the Internet to fellow users. When the "broadcasters" aren't online, neither are their "radio stations." America Online offers a similar service called Shoutcast, and Live365 charges amateur broadcasters a fee to upload their music to a central server, which then sends the music out to listeners' PCs. A London Web site, Last.fm, takes an "affinity sharing" approach, using a list of each user's favorite music to find "neighbors" with similar tastes. It then creates a customized broadcast for each listener, based on what their neighbors are listening to. Because in these cases the music files are temporarily "streamed" to listeners' PCs instead of taking up residence permanently on their hard drives, the Recording Industry Association of America has given its blessing and is working with some of the companies to ensure they stay within legal boundaries. KEXP executive director Tom Mara says traditional radio stations can learn a lot from these grassroots efforts. "It's no longer a case of a person in a booth broadcasting to people anonymously. Now we need to figure new modes of interaction -- not only between the listener and the station, but between listeners." (Wall Street Journal 16 Feb 2005)
(sub req'd)

EDS TO UPGRADE SKILLS
Call it a sign of the times -- global services giant EDS has embarked on a massive retraining program to instill its mainframe veterans with Web services expertise, ahead of expected skills shortages. It will shortly announce a strategy for bringing specialist work from overseas to stem the flow of IT services business to cheaper offshore markets such as India. EDS Asia-Pacific service delivery VP Iain Blacklaw said the global retraining effort would include a multimillion-dollar investment in upgrading the skills of 6,500 technical staff in Australia. The investments follow a long period of training neglect at EDS as reskilling programs were dropped in cost-cutting measures during through the company's troubled past two years. "We clearly dropped the ball in training and front-end skills," Mr Blacklaw said. (The Australian, 15 Feb 2005) rec'd from John Lamp, Deakin U.


PHONE COMPANY SUSPECTED OF BLOCKING VOIP CALLS
The FCC's investigating whether a rural phone company blocked access to the Vonage Internet-phone service, which was competing for the phone company's customers. The company has not been identified. The problem became public several days ago when Larry Lessig, a professor at Stanford Law School and an advocate of Internet freedom, mentioned Vonage's problem at an industry conference in Boulder, Colorado. Shutting off a potential competitor could violate antitrust laws barring companies that control essential facilities from refusing to give competitors the access needed to compete. (Wall Street Journal 17 Feb 2005)

DATABASE COMPANY WARNS OF ID THEFT CONCERNS
ChoicePoint, a Georgia company in the business of selling personal data on consumers, is alerting 145,000 people throughout the nation that a crime ring paid for their credit reports, Social Security numbers and other information. Con artists had posed as owners of debt-collection agencies, insurance agencies and other firms that told ChoicePoint they needed to run background checks on consumers. (San Jose Mercury News 17 Feb 2005)


FEDERAL AGENCIES GET FAILING GRADES ON CYBERSECURITY
At least half of all federal agencies received a grade of "D" or worse on the House Government Reform Committee's annual cyber-security report card. Agencies that received failing marks include the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs. A grade of "D" was awarded to the departments of Defense and Treasury, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Small Business Administration. Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) was encouraged by the fact that the scores of the 10 agencies, as poor as they were, have actually improved since last year, but he warned they must still do better: "I hope it won't take some kind of major cyber-attack to wake everybody up." (Washington Post 16 Feb 2005)


NO RFID TAGS FOR SCHOOL KIDS -- AT LEAST FOR NOW
The InCom company, which developed Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to monitor the whereabouts of school children, has pulled out of a deal with Brittain Elementary School in Sutter, California. School principal Earnie Graham says, "I'm disappointed... I think I let my staff down. Nobody on this campus knows every student." Dawn Cantrall, the parent who objected to the system and brought the ACLU in to stop its implementation, remains skeptical: "I'm not convinced it's over. I'm happy for now that kids are not being tagged, but I'm still fighting to keep it out of our school system. It has to stop here." The system was conceived as a way of simplifying attendance-taking, reducing vandalism, and keeping students safe. (San Francisco Chronicle 16 Feb 2005


YOU ARE WHAT YOU TYPE
Researchers at Louisana Tech and the University of Pennsylvania have come up with a way of incorporating a user's style of typing into his or her system password. One of the researchers explains, "We look at the time between keystrokes, and the time it takes to press a key." It appears that style of typing is as unique as your eye color or speech patterns. Who would have thought it. (AP/USA Today 17 Feb 2005)


[HOLIDAY: Monday will be a NewsScan publishing holiday, in honor of President's Day.]

'D' IS FOR 'DISMAL' U.S. GOV'T CYBERSECURITY
Despite widespread agreement that computer security should be a top priority of U.S. government agencies, the latest cybersecurity progress report from Congress rates overall government efforts a D-, with seven of the 24 largest agencies earning a failing grade -- including the departments of Energy and Homeland Security, which, ironically, houses the National Cyber Security Division. "Several agencies continue to receive failing grades, and that's unacceptable," says Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chair of the House Government Reform Committee. But on the bright side, says Davis, "We're also seeing some exceptional turnarounds." Those include the departments of Transportation (up from a D+ to an A-), Justice (up from an F to a B-) and the Interior (up from an F to a C+). Davis notes that problem areas include lax security at federal contractor computers; a lack of contingency planning for broad system failures; and scant training opportunities for employees responsible for computer security. (AP/Boston.com 16 Feb 2005)


CHOICEPOINT LEAKS CONSUMERS' DATA
ChoicePoint, a spinoff of credit reporting agency Equifax, has come under fire for a major security breach that exposed the personal data records of as many as 145,000 consumers to thieves posing as legitimate businesses. The information revealed included names, addresses, Social Security numbers and credit reports. "The irony appears to be that ChoicePoint has not done its own due diligence in verifying the identities of those 'businesses' that apply to be customers," says Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. "They're not doing the very thing they claim their service enables their customers to achieve." In its defense, ChoicePoint claims it scrutinizes all account applications, including business license verification and individuals' background checks, but in this case the fraudulent identities had not been reported stolen yet and everything seemed in order. ChoicePoint marketing director James Lee says they uncovered the deception by tracking the pattern of searches the suspects were conducting. (Washington Post 18 Feb 2005)


GARTNER URGES CIOS TO PREPARE FOR WORKER SHORTAGE
Analyst firm Gartner recommends that CIOs prepare now for a shortage of workers that the company says will occur by 2012. Gartner's human-capital-management practice, people3, has issued a report that outlines four steps CIOs should take in order to avoid being caught under-resourced. According to people3, there will be 21 million new jobs in 2012, but only 17 million people entering the IT industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Execs should create a strategic workforce plan that covers at least three years. (Outsourcing Pipeline 8 Feb 2005) rec'd from John Lamp, Deakin U.


NEWSPAPERS TO CYBERJOURNALISTS: SHALL WE DANCE?
CNet editor Jeff Pelline says when he quit a steady newspaper job nine years ago to launch CNet's News.com site, his friends and coworkers thought he was nuts, but it turns out he was just ahead of the curve. "Now the print media giants are changing their tune -- albeit more from a defensive than offensive posture. Stuck with stagnant growth and under pressure from Wall Street, these companies are taking their biggest plunge yet into the Internet pool," says Pelline. He cites Thursday's announcement by the New York Times that it's acquiring information portal About.com for $410 million from Primedia and the Washington Post's December deal to purchase online magazine Slate from Microsoft as harbingers of a new détente between old and new media. "This year will no doubt go down as a time when Internet and print media companies danced like never before," says Pelline. "For star-struck Internet companies, it may be a reality check to have to dance with old timers. But the old timers sure don't mind: It puts more dance in their step than a new pair of wingtip shoes." (CNet News.com 18 Feb 2005)


RANDOM HOUSE EYES CELL PHONE APPLICATIONS
In the case of another old-line publishing business moving into the digital era, Random House has purchased a minority stake in Vocel, a California company that provides "premium-branded applications for mobile phones," such as games and mini-series. Random House, a unit of Germany's Bertelsmann AG, will license its Living Language foreign-language study programs and Prima Games video game strategy guides to Vocel for distribution via cell phones. "You have a whole generation of consumers, perhaps more than a generation, who are never more than 10 feet from their cell phones, including when they shower," says Random House Ventures chief Richard Sarnoff. "Increasingly, cell phones are becoming an appliance for entertainment and education." (AP 18 Feb 2005)


*****

HONORARY SUBSCRIBER: EDMUND HALLEY
Today's Honorary Subscriber is the English astronomer Edmund Halley (1656-1742), who is remembered mainly for predicting the regular re-appearance of the comet that now bears his name.
In his study of comets, Halley observed that the path of the comets of 1456, 1531, and 1607 were surprisingly similar, prompting him to surmise that these three sightings were different apparitions of a single comet, which he predicted would return again around 1758. He died before his prediction was verified, but the comet returned as predicted and has been known as Halley's Comet ever since. Halley's work demonstrated that comets, once considered outlaw celestial bodies that came and went erratically, were in fact subject to fixed, regular orbits. Their appearance seemed erratic only because their orbits were so elongated that some might appear only at intervals of many thousands of years and remain visible during only minute portions of their total orbit.
Halley was the son of a wealthy London soap-maker who had him tutored privately at home before sending him to St Paul's School, where Halley showed himself equally distinguished in classics and mathematics. He also displayed a talent for astronomy, and when he entered Queen's College Oxford at age 17 he was already an expert astronomer with a fine collection of instruments purchased for him by his father. He began working with John Flamsteed, the Royal Astronomer, assisting him with observations both at Oxford and at Greenwich.
With the opening of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1675, Flamsteed undertook the task of mapping the northern hemisphere stars. The next year, Halley gave up his studies at Oxford to set up an observatory on St Helena to conduct a similar program for the southern hemisphere. The weather in St Helena proved less optimal for astronomical observations than Halley had hoped, but his 18-month stay on the island resulted in his cataloging 341 southern hemisphere stars. He also made the first complete observation of a transit of Mercury.
Halley returned to England in 1678 where, despite not having graduated from Oxford, he found himself with the reputation of one of the leading astronomers. Honors quickly came his way. He became a graduate of the University of Oxford without taking the degree examinations, the degree being conferred on the command of King Charles II. He was also elected a member of the Royal Society, becoming, at the age of 22, one of its youngest ever Fellows.
The lack of an academic post did not hold Halley back in his scientific work. He worked for the Royal Society in various roles, serving as editor of the Philosophical Transactions from 1685 to 1693 and publishing frequently in the Society's publications. In 1686 he published a map of the world showing the prevailing winds over the oceans, making it the first published meteorological chart. He also prepared mortality tables for the city of Breslau, which influenced the production of life insurance actuarial tables.
Halley played an active role in the events and controversies of his time. He supported Newton in his controversy with Leibniz over who invented the calculus. He fell out of favor with Flamsteed, who succeeded in blocking his academic appointment at Oxford. Upon Flamsteed's demise, Halley would succeed him as Royal Astronomer, a post he occupied for twenty years in latter part his life.
[To find a library copy Halley's "Synopsis of the Astronomy of Comets"
visit RLG's RedLightGreen service at

-- or to purchase Alan Cook's biography of Halley, go to:


Today's Honorary Subscriber is the American sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988), who favored elegantly abstracted, rounded forms in highly polished stone. Noguchi belonged to the pioneering generation of 20th century of modern artists that included many of the era's famous architects, choreographers, and painters: he collaborated with his long-time friend Buckminster Fuller in constructing models and planning outdoor projects; he created sets for the choreographers Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and George Ballenchine; and among his admirers were the artists Frida Kahlo, Arshille Gorky, and Willem de Kooning. Over his lifetime Noguchi designed furniture and settings for ballets, and collaborated with architects in planning gardens, playgrounds, and bridges.
Noguchi was born Isamu Gilmour in Los Angeles to Leonie Gilmour, an Irish-American teacher and editor, and Yone Noguchi, a Japanese poet and scholar. He lived in Japan from the age of 2 until he was 13, where he attended Japanese and Jesuit schools. Returning to America, his mother sent him to boarding school in Indiana. After high school, he attended Columbia University to train as a medical doctor, but he soon abandoned the university to take up sculpture as his true calling.
He was drawn to the work of the Surrealists, and developed an interest in abstract sculpture. He went of Paris on a Guggenheim Fellowship, and there he studied with the modernist sculptor Constantin Brancusi, who impressed him with the artistic value of taking advantage of the pre-disposed forms of sculpture materials. Another formative influence came from his visit to Peking in the early 1930s to study calligraphic drawing.
During World War II, Noguchi was interned in a California Nisei camp, where he occupied himself experimenting with such materials as wood, paper, wire, and bone. During the 1940s besides designing sets, costumes, and properties for Martha Graham's dance company, Noguchi also created some of his most admired sculptures, particularly the pink-and-blue marble Kouros reminiscent of archaic Greek sculpture. Next Noguchi took on several outdoor projects, in which he used Japanese garden designs to create engaging urban spaces. He also executed two bridges for the Peace Park at Hiroshima; the Garden of Peace of the UNESCO Building in Paris; the Sunken Courtyard of the Beinecke Rare Book Library at Yale University; the Water Garden of the Chase Manhattan Bank Plaza in New York City; and the Billy Rose Art Garden in Jerusalem.
In 1982 Noguchi was awarded the Edward MacDowell Medal for outstanding lifelong contribution to the arts. In 1985 he opened the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum in Long Island City, N.Y. The museum and outdoor sculpture garden contain some 500 of his sculptures, models, and photographs. Noguchi died in December of 1988 at the age of 84, leaving a body of work that continues as a visible symbol of the ties between East and West.
***
[To find a library copy of Sam Hunter's "Isamu Noguchi"
visit RLG's RedLightGreen service at
http://www.redlightgreen.com/ucwprod/servlet/ucw.servlets.UCWController?ACTI
ON=EDITION&WORKID=15368267&
-- or to purchase a copy of "Isamu Noguchi: A Sculptor's World" go to:


HONORARY SUBSCRIBER: ELLEN GOULD HARMON WHITE
Today's Honorary Subscriber is the late 19th century American religious personage Ellen Gould Harmon White (1827-1915), who as an early leader of the Seventh-Day Adventists promoted the priorities the church placed on health reform and sound health practices. She energetically promoted the medical missionary program and the building of sanatoriums, and her voluminous writings also provided a popular source for understanding the basis for the two central Adventist doctrines of millennialism and Sabbatarianism.
White was born Ellen Harmon in Gorham, Maine, and grew up there until she was nine, when her family moved to Portland. That same year she suffered an injury that disfigured her face and kept her out of school for some time. Later she attended Portland's Westbrook Seminary and Female College, finishing in 1839. The following year she experienced a religious conversion at a Methodist camp meeting that led to her baptism in that church in June 1842.
Shortly thereafter, along with other members of her family, she became a follower of William Miller, an Adventist prophet who was preaching the imminent return of Christ, predicted for October 22, 1844. When the Second Coming of Christ did not occur on that date, the occasion became known as the "Great Disappointment" -- but White and many other Millerites did not abandon millenarianism, reinterpreting Miller's prophecy to be the date on which a screening process began for gathering the names of all those who would be saved when the Second Coming actually did occur. White then began to report experiencing a long series of visions in which she became the bearer of messages designed to bolster the faith of discouraged Millerites.
In 1846 she married the Adventist minister James S. White and together they traveled together throughout New England, spreading the Adventist faith. In 1855 they ended their wandering days by settling down in Battle Creek, Michigan, making that city the center of Adventist activity and headquarters for their various publishing activities, including the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, and her growing number of books.
In 1860 the Adventists adopted the name Seventh-Day Adventists, and the published visions of White provided the major source of Seventh Day Adventist orthodoxy. The church program incorporated her views on health, especially her opposition to the use of coffee, tea, meat, and drugs, all of which she published in her Testimonies for the Church, which grew to nine volumes in length.
In 1866 she helped Dr. John H. Kellogg establish the Battle Creek Sanatorium, which became famous in the field of diet and health food. (Dr. Kellogg's brother, Will, invented Kellogg's Corn Flakes there.) White also helped found Battle Creek Adventist College, with her husband as president.
When her husband died in 1881, White moved to Healdsburg, California, and began traveling and lecturing extensively in Europe and Australia. Back in the United States, in 1903, she relocated the church headquarters and newspaper to Tacoma Park, Maryland. After that she retired to St. Helena, California, where she died in 1915.
[To find a library copy of White's "Spirit of Prophecy" visit RLG's
RedLightGreen service at

-- or to purchase a copy of her "Prophets and Kings" go to:

Note: We donate all revenue from our book recommendations to adult literacy programs.]

MAILBAG: THE WORLD AS WE FIND IT

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE LOCKSMITHS
Re:
Regarding "A Keyless Future" where it is claimed that "Locksmiths today are a little like a buggy maker in 1900." I'm not so sure. There will be lots of keyed locks for various purposes for a long time to come. Not everything is electronic, even these days. And, the smart locksmiths will acquire the knowledge to handle keyless entry systems, too. They'll still be locksmiths, just with additional skills and tools.
Thanks for NewsScan, an interesting way to keep up with some new things in technology. (Michael Cook)

HUGHES AND RADIATION
Re:

You did a nice bio on the always-interesting story of Howard Hughes. But did you know the story behind one of his other movies, "The Conqueror?" See (Ben White)

SMALL POINT, BIG BUCKS
Re:

From Feb 15 NewsScan: "He died without a will, and considerable legal debate arose over the disposition of his estate. The courts finally made the Howard Hughes Medical Institute the beneficiary of his vast fortune. Originally set up by Hughes as a tax shelter and public relations ploy, this Institute is now the largest U.S. source of funds for biomedical research." Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is the largest PRIVATE source of funds, today. It is dwarfed by the $28B/yr from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Small point. Big bucks. P.S. I really enjoy NewsScan and the Flash Cards daily! (Charles R. Sherman, Ph.D)

CONGRESS ASTOUNDS
Re:
According to this article, it sounds like (if the 'real ID act' is passed) you would need to have a driver's license to take a train, fly in a commercial aircraft or even attend court... isn't this a bit of flawed logic? What about those people who have medical issues (such as blindness, deafness, etc.) that prevent them from obtaining a driver's license. Does this mean that those people who are not legally entitled to drive an automobile will also be excluded from taking other means of transportation or participating in the judicial process? This lack of logic by members of the U.S. Congress absolutely astounds me! (Phil Lindsay)

WHO DECIDES 'FREE SPEECH'?
Re:
John and Suzanne, I am deeply disturbed by a phenomenon there seems to be very little comment on - the nature of "free speech." If we break down the expression into its components, it refers to unrestricted COMMUNICATION, whether verbally or in writing. But items up for auction -- how are these related to free speech?
Today's media and special interest groups lump all manner of things under the "free speech" label, usually when something is proscribed and they need some legally plausible excuse to complain about it. This is obfuscation of the worst sort, driven by ideological motives. In the case of the Nazi memorabilia, there is no evidence that anyone's right to communicate has been infringed; rather, it is a case of declaring some objects, due to the negative historical baggage they carry (and rightly so), outside the bounds of good taste in the eyes of most people. Things like this should not come under the heading of free speech issues.
We need not be ashamed of censorship rightly exercised; there is a time and a place for it. We censor the behavior of smokers. We censor drunkenness. We censor drug abuse. We censor murder. (We should censor, if we are a moral people, the convenience-killing of babies.) We can also decide, as an upright society, to censor other things that fall outside the bounds of near-universal moral consensus and good taste. But such controls have nothing to do with free speech, rightly understood. This distinction needs to be broadcast widely and the essence of what constitutes "free speech" reclaimed, so lawyers are not permitted to get away with redefining what constitutes "free speech" for their own purposes. (Richard Lanser)

HONORARY SUBSCRIBER: HOWARD HUGHES
Today's Honorary Subscriber is the eccentric American billionaire Howard Hughes (1905-1976), who is now the subject of a new Hollywood movie, and who in his lifetime made headlines as a businessman, aviator, and movie producer. In his later years he was, ironically, much publicized for his aversion to publicity, given as he was to shrouding his person and business operations in mystery.
Orphaned at 17, Hughes quit school and took control of his father's Houston-based Hughes Tool Company, shrewdly buying out all other relatives. In his twenties, with a yearly income of about $2 million, he moved to Hollywood and became a movie producer, making such films as "Hell's Angels" (1930), "The Front Page" (1931) and "Scarface" (1932). He introduced Jean Harlow, Jane Russell and Paul Muni to the screen.
In 1948 he bought a controlling interest in RKO Pictures Corporation, selling it in 1955, but remaining chairman of the board until 1957. Along with his interest in motion pictures, Hughes had a life-long fascination with aviation. In 1932 he founded Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, California. The company never succeeded as an airplane manufacturer, but became profitable as a producer of aircraft equipment, including radar and weapons guidance systems. In 1937, he bought a struggling airline that he renamed Trans World Airways. His management of TWA was controversial, and in 1966, after refusing to appear in court to answer antitrust charges, he lost control and sold his 78 percent share of the stock for more than 500 million.
Hughes was a skilled pilot and competent aircraft designer. He set speed records with planes he designed and he circled the earth in record time, flying a Lockheed 14. In 1942 he began work on the design of his famous"Spruce Goose," an eight-engine, wooden flying boat intended to carry 750 passengers. In 1947 he piloted this machine on its only flight for a distance of just one mile.
Never an extrovert, in 1950 Hughes went into complete seclusion in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he began to buy up much of the hotel and night club industry, but was seen by only a few trusted male aides. After years of working without sleep for days on end in a black-curtained room, he reportedly became emaciated and deranged, with an uncontrollable and morbid fear of germs. In his later years he began to move abruptly from one place to another, finally dying on a flight to Houston, Texas, to seek medical treatment.
He died without a will, and considerable legal debate arose over the disposition of his estate. The courts finally made the Howard Hughes Medical Institute the beneficiary of his vast fortune. Originally set up by Hughes as a tax shelter and public relations ploy, this Institute is now the largest U.S. source of funds for biomedical research.
***
[To find a library copy of Michael Drosnin's "Citizen Hughes," visit RLG's
RedLightGreen service at
-- or to purchase a copy of Richard Hack's
"Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters," go to:


WORTH THINKING ABOUT (I): FEELINGS AND MEMORIES
For Valentine's day we offer the little poem "Jenny Kissed Me" by Leigh Hunt (1784-1859):
Jenny kissed me when we met,
Jumping from the chair she sat in.
Time, you thief! who love to get
Sweets into your list, put that in.
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad;
Say that health and wealth have missed me;
Say I'm growing old, but add--
Jenny kissed me.

WORTH THINKING ABOUT (II): FEELINGS AND MEMORIES
And here are some other kinds of feelings and memories, described the 1952 book "Witness" by Whittaker Chambers:
"In those days, the late Arthur Burke led a silent meeting on Wednesday nights at the 20th Street Meeting House in New York. I began to attend. The meetings were among the decisive experiences of my life. One in particular united the worshippers and what they worshipped in a stillness so intense that as, at its close, the spirit of the meeting seemed to ebb in great pulsations, Arthur Burke's voice broke the vibrant silence. 'This meeting,' he said, 'has had a divine covering.'
***
"At last, I asked the Friends at Pipe Creek if my children might be admitted to the Meeting. I did not feel myself worthy of that fellowship. Instead, they proposed that my wife and I, together with the children, join the Meeting as a family.
"I hesitated. I asked myself if so great a blessing could be meant for me. It seemed to me that it was indeed meant to be so, and that I would be doing no wrong to respond to the summons, for though Friends, as a society, still maintain their ancient witness for peace and against war, it is the sense of modern Quakerism that, for the individual, the decision in wartime is a matter for his own conscience. As a family, we were united to the Meeting.
"Pipe Creek is an old and small Meeting. Some of the most peaceful hours of my life have been spent in the silence of its worship among its quiet and good friends. In winter the meeting house is closed. Friends find it more convenient to worship in one another's homes. The tone of the meeting is one of peace, rather than a groping or soaring of the spirit. Never have I known in it anything approaching the experience of the meetings on 20th Street, though I have known a similar experience in our neighbor meeting at Nenallen, in Pennsylvania.
"For that failure of the spirit, I look first of all into myself. I once heard a very old man complaining to our Friend, Eliza Rakestraw, that the meeting had been so dull that he fell asleep. 'Thee brings thy meeting with thee, Henry,' she said gently.
"Others, I know, have felt what I have not. Sometimes, in one Quaker House, I have gone upstairs at the close of the meeting to speak with Martha Englar, where she sits, year in an year out, beside her window. She is a fragile woman with the pale, transparent flesh of the very old and the very good. 'Is that thee, David (my favorite name)?' she will ask as she hears me, in the doorway. 'Come here so that I may touch thee. I cannot see thee.' She adds invariably, 'I could not go downstairs. But I left my door open so that I could catch the vibrations of the meeting.'"
[To find a library copy of "Witness" by Whittaker Chambers, visit RLG's RedLightGreen service at -- or to purchase a copy go to:

Note: We donate all revenue from our book recommendations to adult literacy programs.]

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Activities and Events of Interest
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Robert Burns Night, 5 pm, Saturday, Feb. 19 @ Reynold Center.
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March 5 Camden 7:30 p.m. Premier String Quartet
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April 3 El Dorado 3:00 p.m. Xiang Gao, Violin
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MCC Tanzania, Africa Mission Trip, July 2005. Get your passport!
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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/ This posting covers the last two weeks.

01. Staff Sgt. Kristopher L. Shepherd, 26, of Lynchburg, Va., died Feb. 11 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated during clearing operations. Shepherd was assigned to the 767th Ordnance Company, 63rd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

02. Staff Sgt. William T. Robbins, 31, of North Little Rock, Ark., died Feb. 10 in Taji, Iraq, of non-combat related injuries. Robbins was assigned to the Army National Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade, Little Rock, Ark.

03. Spc. Robert A. McNail, 30, of Meridian, Miss., died Feb. 11 in Iskandariyah, Iraq, when his HMMVW struck another military vehicle. McNail was assigned to the Army National Guard's 150th Combat Engineer Battalion, 155th Brigade Combat Team, Quitman, Miss.

04. Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, 29, of San Antonio, Texas, died Feb. 13 while performing a canal rescue mission in Balad, Iraq. Rangel was assigned to the 7th Civil Engineering Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

05. Lance Cpl. Richard A. Perez Jr., 19, of Las Vegas, Nev., died Feb. 10 as a result of non-hostile vehicle incident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 6th Motor Transport Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group, Las Vegas, Nev.

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The soldiers died Feb. 13 in Balad, Iraq, when the vehicle they were riding in overturned. All were assigned to the Army's 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
The soldiers are:
06. Sgt. Chad W. Lake, 26, of Ocala, Fla.
07. Sgt. Rene Knox, Jr., 22, of New Orleans, La.
08. Spc. Dakotah L. Gooding, 21, of Des Moines, Iowa

09. Sgt. 1st Class David J.Salie, 34, of Columbus, Ga., died February 14 in Ba'qubah, Iraq, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Salie was assigned to the Army's 2d Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

10. Pfc. David J.Brangman, 20, of Lake Worth, Fla., died February 13 in Uvanni, Iraq, when a mortar round struck his vehicle. Brangman was assigned to the Army's 3d Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

11. Sgt. Adam J. Plumondore, 22, of Gresham, Ore., died February 16 in Mosul, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Plumondore was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

12. Spc. Justin B. Carter, 21, of Mansfield, Mo., died Feb. 16 in Forward Operating Base McKenzie, Iraq, from non-combat related injuries. Carter was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Benning, Ga.

13. Pfc. Michael A. Arciola, 20, of Elmsford, N.Y., died Feb. 15 in Al Ramadi, Iraq, from injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire. Arciola was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Casey, Korea.

14. Staff Sgt. Jason R. Hendrix, 28, of Claremore, Okla., died Feb.16 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when an explosion occurred while he was conducting combat operations. Hendrix was assigned to 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Hovey, Korea.

14. Spc. Katrina L. Bell-Johnson, 32, of Orangeburg, S.C., died Feb. 16 in Ba'qubah, Iraq, when she was involved in a vehicle accident. Bell-Johnson was assigned to the Army's 418th Transportation Company, 180th Transportation Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.

16. Sgt. Frank B. Hernandez, 21, of Phoenix, Ariz., died Feb. 17 in Tal Afar, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Hernandez was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Lewis, Wash.

17. Sgt. Christopher M. Pusateri, 21, of Corning, N.Y., died Feb.16 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from enemy forces using small arms fire. Pusateri was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.


Pentagon police officer James M. Feltis, III died at 12:40 p.m. February 14 from complications resulting from injuries sustained in the line of duty.
On Jan. 11, 2005 at approximately 8:27 a.m. a stolen vehicle that was attempting to elude a marked Alexandria police cruiser struck Feltis. The operator of the stolen vehicle turned onto the pentagon reservation and traveled the wrong way on South Rotary Rd., a one-way street, at a high rate of speed. Upon seeing the vehicle approach his location, Feltis attempted to initiate a traffic stop and was struck head on as the vehicle continued traveling at a high rate of speed the wrong way up the Route 27 on-ramp to the pentagon reservation. The 41 year-old officer, a 12-year veteran of the Pentagon Police Department, was flown to INOVA Fairfax Hospital where he was admitted in critical condition. He never regained consciousness.
On Feb. 8, 2005, during a bedside ceremony attended by his wife, Feltis was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal of Valor for life threatening injuries sustained during the performance of his official protection duties.
On Feb. 10, 2005 the operator of vehicle, Ossie Larode, 22, no known address, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a five count indictment charging, among other things, carjacking and attempted murder of Feltis. Larode is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals in Alexandria, Va.
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Remember that for every soldier killed in modern war, 10 are wounded. Don't forget to pray for them and their families.
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Join the Delta Diamondbacks 24-hour prayer team sponsored by First Baptist Church of McNeill by calling Debi Scott at 695-3403.
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War Prayer list for those in harms way.(12/24)

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. Our own Delta Diamond Backs, local national guard personnel are now patrolling Bagdad. They are part of the 1st Cavalry Division's, 39th Infantry Brigade.

Please update us when you know of someone who comes home (or is activated for service.)

Command Sergeant Major Tom Broom - U.S. Army - Kuwait
Kyle Burleston - U.S. Marines - Iraq
Jim Carrol - U.S. Navy Intelligence
Greg Davis - U.S. Army - Bagdad - Mark Davis's oldest son. Greg has two children; Jhett, 12 and Baily 3
Lang Doster - National Guard - Iraq - Angel Cranston's Brother
Sgt. Douglas E. Chappel - Kuwait
Alaina Downey - USAF - Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri - Steve Downey's daughter
Michael Drake - U.S. Navy - Persian Gulf
Lisa Dyson - U.S. Army Intelligence - Johnny Dyson's daughter
Jeremy Lee Eades U.S. Army - Roger and Jerri Eades son.
John Ford - U.S. Army Korea - Steve and Sharon Ford's son
Dickie Hartsfield's son - U.S. Army - In Bagdad
Warren Haynie from Lewisville - Serving in Iraq
Matthew Johnson - Marines
Robby Johnson - USAF C-130 Crew Chief
Brennan Jones - U S Marines - Iraq
James A.Jones - US Navy
Pat Keister - USMC -
Terris Lyons - National Guard - Back home in Minden
Mick McDaniel - U.S. Air Force, unknown location - Richard Matherne's son-in-law
David Mitchell - U.S. Army - In Bagdad
Opheline Moore - USArmy -
Brian Morgan - US Navy - in the Gulf somewhere
C.H. Osman - CAPT USN - Pentagon
Andrew Paladino - US Army SRA - Don and Ronda Paladino's Boy
Nick Paladino - US Army Ssgt - Don and Ronda Paladino's Boy
Bob Polk - Kuwait
Todd Raymond - USAF - Germany - Another MCC young man.
Bryan Ross - Wayne Specie Roy and Loretta Specie's
Jason Varner Deployed to an unknown Location Roy and Loretta Specie's
Lloyd Young - USMC - North Carolina - Cindy Martin's son
Please let us know of any updates to this list. James F.McClellan - KC5HII@Magnolia-Net.Com Also, at kvma.Com they have a list of people over seas.
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Scheduled Activities
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Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
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Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
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Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
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"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
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MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
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MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
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MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
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MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
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MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
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MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
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MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
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MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
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MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
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Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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"Fight till you win!" - - Mark Brazee
"Bring 'em on!" - -President George W. Bush
"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." -- "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" -- "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." -- "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." - - "Bug"
"If you can read this e-mail, thank a teacher. - - If you read it in English, thank a serviceman."
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - - Margaret Mead
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Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Eph 3:12-15 2 Cor 4:11-15 Rev 3:19-21 Mat 11:28-30 Isa. 55:11 Luke 8:11 John 14:18-21
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

P. S. If you'd like to be added to the distribution, just drop us E-mail at KC5HII@Magnolia-Net.Com. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. For the "Blog" version just go to http://bugsbleat.blogspot.com/ to see the latest issue. This week, "Word" and "PDF" subscribers get to see photos of our friends the Wicklunds and some of the scenery around their home.
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