Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Defensive Driving Course

Volume 15, Special Earth Day Issue Friday, April 22, 2013















Hello ALL,

Thirty Three Years ago, 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Fifth Avenue in New York City was closed to automobiles as 100,000 people joined in concerts, lectures, and street theater. More than 2,000 colleges and universities across America paused their anti-war protests to rally instead against pollution and population growth. Even Congress recessed, acknowledging that the environment was now on a political par with motherhood.





Southern State College in Magnolia also acknowledged that first Earth Day with a symposium in Overstreet Hall. And “Fuzzy” Thurman created a quote for me that was copied on the AP and UPI wires and published in the New York Times and Washington Post. Fuzzy, writing for his Bray Article of the week, quoted me as saying; “The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now!”

So, what’s happened to the environmental movement over the last 33 years?

Earth Day 1970 was cited as irrefutable evidence that the American people understood the environmental threat and wanted action to resolve it. At the time, the major problems were air and water pollution and the major cause identified was over population.





The solution back then was to regulate the discharge of hazardous and/or unwanted substances into our air and water and to encourage zero population growth. Laws such as the Clean Water and Clean Air acts did make a significant difference in the level of pollution.

Due to those early regulatory efforts as well as the demands of the public for business to be more “Green” (remember McDonalds old foam packaging?) our air and water is much much cleaner than it was at the time of the first earth day. But I wonder what happened to the goal of controlling population. It seems to have fallen off the radar.




Our national environmental policy evolved into federal action to regulate activities that have an environmental impact in the United States. The stated goal of this policy is to protect the environment for future generations while interfering as little as possible with the efficiency of commerce or the liberty of the people and to limit inequity in who is burdened with environmental costs.

This policy grew mainly out of the environmental movement in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s during which several environmental laws were passed, regulating air and water pollution and forming the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Partially due to the high costs associated with these regulations, there has been a backlash from business and politically conservative interests, limiting increases to environmental regulatory budgets and slowing efforts to protect the environment. Since the 1970s, despite frequent legislative gridlock, there have been significant environmental regulations, including increases in air and water quality and, to a lesser degree, control of hazardous waste.


Major Environmental Legislation includes:

1899 Refuse Act
1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
1948 Federal Water Pollution Control Act
1955 Air Pollution Control Act
1963 Clean Air Act (1963)
1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act
1965 Water Quality Act
1967 Air Quality Act
1969 National Environmental Policy Act
1970 Clean Air Act (1970)
1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act
1972 Consumer Product Safety Act
1972 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
1972 Clean Water Act
1972 Noise Control Act
1973 Endangered Species Act
1974 Safe Drinking Water Act
1975 Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
1976 Solid Waste Disposal Act
1976 Toxic Substances Control Act
1977 Clean Air Act Amendments
1977 Clean Water Act Amendments
1980 CERCLA (Superfund)
1984 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Amendments
1986 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments
1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
1986 Emergency Wetlands Resources Act
1987 Clean Water Act Reauthorization
1990 Oil Pollution Act
1990 Clean Air Act (1990)
1993 North American Free Trade Agreement
2003 Healthy Forests Initiative


In my opinion, this movement has gone the way of most such efforts. It has accomplished some worthy goals, but, in an effort to regulate our way to environmental sustainability, they have created a morass of laws that not only stifle commerce but don’t really protect the environment.

Like Chuck Van Meter once told a class at SAU; “We can protect the environment or we can obey the law. But … we can’t do both.”

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_policy_of_the_United_States]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_policy_of_the_United_States]
~~~~~
This is my first post since December. I just had more to say than I had time to write. In the future I’ll try to write less … more often.
~~~~~
Annette and our youngest grandsons were “out and about” one day and she thought to ask them if they were properly dressed (it was a little cool). She asked if they had on proper shoes, not just flip flops (their preferred footwear.)

The first grader (names with held to protect the parents) replied; “Yes MamMaw. We’ve got real shoes, socks, long pants, and a long sleeve shirt.” He paused a moment and then concluded; “And, even underwear.” The third grader, as usual, corrected the facts of the situation and pointed out that he had on a short sleeve shirt and didn’t even have a jacket, but he went on to say; “MamMaw, you’re warmer than us because you’ve got on more clothes.”

Upon hearing that, Annette suffered a synapse leap and commented; “Hey guys why do women have to wear bras and men don’t?”

The first grader replied; “Well … because their chests stick out and jiggle a lot.”

At this point, the third grader spoke up and concluded the conversation by dramatically saying; “How did we wonder into this topic?”
~~~~~
We’ve had some “challenges” over the last few months, the kind that try to pull you down. You know, illness and other such passing trifles. But I’m reminded that even though I'm often found griping that we don't sing the old Hymns enough, this is one occasion that a worship song seem to say it best.
...
Your Love Never Fails


Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant in the trial and the change
One thing remains
One thing remains
(Your love Your Love Your Love will never change)

Your love never fails
It never gives up
Never Runs Out On Me.

Your Love Your Love Your Love

Your love never fails
It never gives up
Never Runs Out On Me.

Your love oh Lord

On and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never have to be afraid
One thing remains
One thing remains

Your Love Your Love Your Love

Your love never fails
It never gives up
Never Runs Out On Me.

Your love Your perfect love oh Lord

Your love never fails
It never gives up
Never Runs Out On Me.

Your love oh Lord

In death in life I'm confident and
Cover'd by the power of Your great love
My debt is paid there's nothing that
Can separate my heart from Your great love

Your love never fails
It never gives up
Never Runs Out On Me.

Your Love Your Love Your Love

Your love never fails
It never gives up
Never Runs Out On Me.

Your love we can feel Your love oh Lord
Your love burning in our hearts (oh God)

Your Love

Brian Johnson
~~~~~
Lessons learned from reading “Dear Abby”:

1. Don’t blame the server for bad food.
2. Always be polite and send compliments to the chef when applicable.
3. It’s YOUR wedding.
4. It’s never too late to change bad habits.
5. Kindness is always important.
6. Being the “other woman” is a dead end job.
7. Workplace romances are usually doomed.
8. Counseling is a good thing.
9. Reconcile and forgive estranged parents IF YOU CAN.
10. Pursue your dreams NOW.
11. You deserve to be loved.
12. It’s never too late to say “Thank You.”

~~~~~
I’m sometimes asked what my thoughts are on workplace safety. I usually give them my; "Plastic Banana Story." I was on a panel at a safety conference when a member of the audience asked; "But how do you make employees follow safety rules? I can't get our fork truck drivers to wear seat belts."

It was hard for me not to wave my hand and yell; "Let me answer. Let me answer." The moderator wisely turned to me and asked if I'd like to respond. This is my response to the question.
~
When I was a young father, we had a bowl of plastic fruit on the coffee table. One day my two year old son toddled in and grabbed one of the plastic bananas. I gently took it away from him and placed it back in the bowl. He didn't cry, he just said "Want nanner."

In response, I gently explained that this wasn't really a banana, it was just to look at.
His response? "Want nanner."

At that point, I picked up the plastic fruit and banged it on the coffee table, again explaining it wasn't a real banana.
His response? "Want nanner."

This little give and take continued for a couple of more minutes until I just looked at him and said very firmly. "NO! You can't have this 'banana'!"
To which he replied; "OK." And wandered off to do something else.

When we're endeavoring to improve safety, one of the first things we have to do is get "buy in." Employees should be educated on the hazards and ways to mitigate same.
This education should be followed with active inspections to ensure the safety rules are being followed and protocols / equipment properly used.

If we find deficiencies, we should attempt to again try to get "buy in."

But ... if after all your efforts to educate and train fail to ensure compliance with sound safety practice … you have to fall back to being the parent and firmly enforcing the rules. NO EXCEPTIONS!

If you can't do that ... you have no business being a safety person ... or a parent.
~~~~~
I was listening to NPR and guess what? They were talking about “GUNS” and how to solve the Gun violence problem in this country. One caller suggested that most Americans were concerned about the current proposals and feared these new edicts would infringe on their constitutional rights. The caller went on to ask; “since US Citizens own about 3 million firearms, what are you gonna do? Confiscate all of them?” The NPR host paused and then said; “Are we going to have to live under the threat of so many millions of guns out there?” I thought for a moment and realized that I too was concerned about a large store of dangerous stuff in our nation … alcohol. After all, in 2010 there was 3.3 DUI fatalities for every 100,000 citizens. If we’re considering restricting the use and ownership of guns, shouldn’t we do the same for alcohol?

But wait you say? We already restrict the ownership and use of alcohol via local, state and federal law. And those restrictions are doing such a great job that we only kill 10,000 folks a year in alcohol impaired driving accidents.

Amazingly, Drunk Driving Control efforts have actually shown some progress over the past 20 years. Without banning alcohol, they have used stricter laws, more emphasis on mental health, and public education to reduce DUI fatalities by 48%.
~~~~~
No matter what our intent, there are some words, symbols, etc. that offend folks and depending on the severity of their offense, we may need to modify our words, (etc.) just to be polite.

A good example is the term "boy." Upon entering college, I quickly learned that my "Afro-American" classmates were deeply offended when I called them "boy." It didn't matter that I was in the habit of calling all males my age or younger, "boy."

Another example is the "Stars and Bars" flag. My great-granddad fought for the south at Vicksburg and I'm still proud of the heritage while not in support of the history of slavery and racism in the USA (and the rest of the world.) So I don't display a confederate flag.

I learned that lesson as a youngster when I took a trip to Galveston and came back with a "Maltese Surfers Cross." The beach movies were all the rage and every guy I knew wanted a surfers cross.

Imagine my dismay when I showed it to my dad (a European Theater WWII vet) and he snatched it away from me and said "No son of mine is going to wear a swastika!" After I got over my shock and not a little anger, I realized that he was a product of "where he was when." Any Germanic looking symbol was offensive to a man who had fought Hitler's Armies. So I sacrificed a little and complied with his desires. It didn't matter that he was wrong about what the surfers cross meant. What mattered was that it offended him and I didn't want to do that ... intentionally or not.
~~~~~
In Liberian universities, female students are expected to comply with "Sex 101," a reference to the expectation that female students will have sex with their male lecturers to get good grades or pass their degree courses. Some call the practice "transactional sex, and it is common not only in Liberian universities but also throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Now, Liberian students have decided to do something about it.
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/seworld20130304-liberian-female-students-protest-sexforgrade-practice
~~~~~
There is absolutely no end to the ignorance spread by “the encyclopedia of Google” as well as "Shoddy journalism" both of which are to blame for poor public understanding of chemicals in our society.

A blogger's promotion of a story that ran on "Dateline NBC" claiming health dangers from trace levels of Bisphenol A and phthalates is an example of "shoddy journalism," writes Jon Entine of the George Mason Genetic Literacy Project. The show, the blogger and the National Resources Defense Council are misleading the public on the science behind the claims, Entine argues.
"[H]ere we have a problematic study hyped erroneously by science-challenged activists only to be picked up by science-absent television journalists only to be recycled back to the public by anti-chemical activists," he writes. Forbes (4/18)
[http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/04/18/national-resources-defense-council-nrdc-champions-shoddy-journalism-on-endocrine-active-chemicals/]

Believe it or not, our world is made of chemicals, elements and mixtures. Many, if not most, of which are toxic in some way. You can actually kill a person by giving them too much water [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill].

But we shouldn’t live in fear; our bodies were actually made to defend us from harmful substances. For instance, our respiratory system filters out many particulates (i.e. dust, mold, etc.) before they reach the lungs. Substances that do make it into the lungs and are absorbed into the blood stream are filtered out by the liver, kidneys, spleen, etc. and excreted to prevent harm to us.

Of course, our bodies can’t protect us from any and all assault, if we are exposed to too much of a substance or for too long a time, it can overwhelm the bodies defenses. Chlorine is a good example. A small amount of Chlorine in our water protects us from severe and deadly organisms. But it doesn’t take too much to turn the water acidic and cause damage to our internal structures. And airborne Chlorine can quickly overcome the bodies’ defenses and cause severe harm, even death.

To judge harm, you have to know the actual toxicity of a substance, the time of exposure and the amount of exposure. Here lies the rub. The best way of judging toxicity is case studies. But it’s unethical to expose humans to a substance to see what happens, so we use animals, especially rats to conduct many studies. And rat data isn’t always directly extrapolate able to humans. Additionally, they often have to give the animals major overdoses to see a response, further skewing the study results.

I’ve personally been involved in two studies that I would judge as failed.
The first, was a safety study of the effects of exposure to 1,2 Di-Bromo Chloro Propane to humans. The study concluded that humans could be exposed to PPM concentrations of DBCP without ill effects. The authors, however, overlooked one series of tests that showed decreased sperm production in bulls. Turns out that human exposure to DBCP at the recommended levels caused temporary sterility in males.

Oops.

The second Study involved exposure of Rats to Ethylene Di-Bromide and the study extrapolated that humans exposed to PPM concentrations would develop cancer. I learned of this study when some government contractors showed up at my workplace and told us that basically we were all “dead men walking.” At this time we had been working for several years to decrease exposure levels in the plant and I was confident that our actual exposures were very low. Additionally, I knew of several workers from the original EDB plants in Michigan that were old retired guys and the levels of exposure they had endured were MAGNATUDES greater than we worked in. Those old original plants first manufactured the substance using open brick caldrons of bromine and bubbling ethylene into them until it converted to EDB. All this inside a closed building.

What am I getting at? I’m saying that we need to limit our exposure to potentially toxic substances without falling prey to “junk science” fear tactics that, to me, seek to move us back into the middle ages where life span was measured in 3 or 4 decades, not up to a century as at present.

To sum it up ... here we have a problematic study of the dangers of Bisphenol A and phthalates, hyped erroneously by science-challenged activists only to be picked up by science-absent television journalists only to be recycled back to the public by anti-chemical activists. At the center of this fiasco: the NRDC.

Any wonder we have a science education crisis in our country? Lets’ hope that the relentless anti-science drumbeat doesn’t result in a chemical regulatory crisis as well.
~~~~~
When my generation was growing up we were taught that Nathan Hale’s biggest sacrifice was accepting an assignment that required him to lie. Such behavior was not accepted by responsible men of that time. Then we learned of Abraham Lincoln’s honesty in walking several miles to return a few cents that a customer had inadvertently over paid him.

Compare that with today’s cheating scandals, politicians living off bribes, employers who encourage workers to deny customers claims of overcharges, employees who pad expense accounts and overstate time worked, etc. etc. etc.

Is it any wonder that many corporations freely contract with companies who care little or nothing for their employee’s safety and health?

Would that Corporations would rigorously adhere to Michael Josephson’s “12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives.” [http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/12-ethical-principles-for-business-executives/]
~~~~~
It’s Time For the US to Go Metric - Jamie Condliffe

The US has a love affair with imperial units: height in inches, milk in quarts, weight in pounds. You name it, and it's measured in imperial. The only problem? Imperial is dumb. So let's cast of those shackles and join the rest of the world by embracing units that make sense. Let's go metric, once and for all.

http://gizmodo.com/5972438/its-time-for-the-us-to-go-metric?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=linkedin
~~~~~
It's so tragic for our country and our kids ... we just have to laugh. Years ago, when we lived in Dallas, I thought that political action committees would be the answer. The "small" people could band together and push for change via monetary support for politicians. But that too was taken over by the "big money." Now I advocate a groundswell of reaching out to voters and educating them on the facts. Just call me Don Quixote.
~~~~~
HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR: 2029

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formerly known as California.

White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.

Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking..

George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.

Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only..

85-year $75.8 billion study: Diet and exercise is the key to weight loss.

Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs.

Global cooling blamed for citrus crop failure for third consecutive year in Mexifornia and Floruba.

Senate still blocking drilling in ANWAR even though gas is selling for 4532 Pesos per liter and gas stations are only open on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.

New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2030.

IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.

Floruba voters still having trouble with voting machines.
~~~~~
THE REMARKABLE BRAIN functions from a period inside the womb 24 hours a day 365 days a year to a period just before you decide to vote Democrat. Thanks To Chuck Jackson (It’s a joke folks.)
~~~~~
Punny Thoughts

I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but eventually it came back to me.

I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing – but it let out a little whine.

The primary responsibility for a child's education is apparent.

For plumbers, a flush beats a full house.

The best way to communicate with a fish is to drop it a line.

Her company distributes gift-boxed cashews, and she has a delivery guy that drives her nuts.

Received from Milton Freund.
~~~~~
One day, after a man had his annual physical, the doctor came out and said, "You had a great check-up. Is there anything that you'd like to talk about or ask me?"

"Well," he said, "I was thinking about getting a vasectomy."

"That's a big decision! Have you talked it over with your family?"

"Yeah, we took a vote... and they're in favor of it 15 to 2."
~~~~~
LAWS

1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible place in the universe.

3. Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal - someone always answers.

6. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

8. Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting someone you know INCREASES dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, IT WILL!!!

10. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

11. Law of the Theater & Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies and stay to the bitter end of the performance. The aisle people also are very surly folk.

12. The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

13. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only 2 people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug.

15. Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible IF you don't know what you are talking about.

16. Brown's Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they 're ugly.

17. Oliver's Law of Public Speaking--A CLOSED MOUTH GATHERS NO FEET!!!

18. Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

19. Doctors ' Law - If you don 't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better.. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick.
~~~~~
MAN RULES

THESE ARE OUR RULES!

PLEASE NOTE. THESE ARE ALL NUMBERED #1 ON PURPOSE!

1. MEN ARE NOT MIND READERS.

1. CRYING IS BLACKMAIL.

1. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT. LET US BE CLEAR ON THIS ONE:

SUBTLE HINTS DO NOT WORK!
STRONG HINTS DO NOT WORK!
OBVIOUS HINTS DO NOT WORK!
JUST SAY IT!

1. YES AND NO ARE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST EVERY QUESTION.

1.. COME TO US WITH A PROBLEM ONLY IF YOU WANT HELP SOLVING IT. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. SYMPATHY IS WHAT YOUR GIRLFRIENDS ARE FOR.

1. ANYTHING WE SAID 6 MONTHS AGO IS INADMISSIBLE IN AN ARGUMENT. IN FACT, ALL COMMENTS BECOME NULL AND VOID AFTER 7 DAYS.

1. IF YOU THINK YOU'RE FAT, DON'T ASK US.

1. IF SOMETHING WE SAID CAN BE INTERPRETED TWO WAYS AND ONE OF THE WAYS MAKES YOU SAD OR ANGRY, WE MEANT THE OTHER ONE.

1. YOU CAN EITHER ASK US TO DO SOMETHING OR TELL US HOW YOU WANT IT DONE. NOT BOTH.
IF YOU ALREADY KNOW BEST HOW TO DO IT, JUST DO IT YOURSELF.

1. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLEASE SAY WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO SAY DURING COMMERCIALS.

1. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DID NOT NEED DIRECTIONS AND NEITHER DO WE...

1. ALL MEN SEE IN ONLY 16 COLORS, LIKE WINDOWS DEFAULT SETTINGS..
PEACH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A FRUIT, NOT A COLOR. PUMPKIN IS ALSO A FRUIT. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MAUVE IS.

1. IF WE ASK WHAT IS WRONG AND YOU SAY 'NOTHING,' WE WILL ACT LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG. WE KNOW YOU ARE LYING, BUT IT IS JUST NOT WORTH THE HASSLE.

1. IF YOU ASK A QUESTION YOU DON'T WANT AN ANSWER TO, EXPECT AN ANSWER YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR..

1. WHEN WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WEAR IS FINE...REALLY.

1. DON'T ASK US WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO DISCUSS SUCH TOPICS AS FOOTBALL OR MOTOR SPORTS.

1. I AM IN SHAPE. ROUND IS A SHAPE!
~~~~~
For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on.

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, Ford issued a press release stating:

If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash.........twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

I love the next one!!!

7. The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8.. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

Thanks To Waneta
~~~~~
Favorite Quotes:

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. -- Mark Twain
~
“We are moons, not suns. The moon only reflects the light of the sun. We need only to reflect His light, then we live to His glory.” - - Corrie Ten Boom
~
As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it.~ Buddy Hackett
~
"Don’t worry - lay your hand in His hand. You will be safe even if life today feels like crossing a bridge without parapets over wild rushing water." Corrie Ten Boom

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. C. S. Lewis
~~~~~
The following wisdom is shared by our friends.
~
Lynn Cloud Barnhart
"Setbacks"are just "setups"for God to show what He is able to do.....God is Always Faithful!
~
Stephen Burton - It's a shame when we let people/things rob our spouse and children by convincing us they need our time and attention more than our family does.
~
Amanda Bowen Franks - May our minds not be double minded! Nobody knows what we are for, only what we are against.....
~
Martha Chapman - The day by day calendar my daughter gave me for Christmas has this quote: "In mothering, if you do it right, you work yourself out of a job."
~
Nancee Davis Law

Grudges are like bricks we carry around in our pockets while we wonder why we're so tired all the time.

When life pours rain on you, learn to dance in the puddles.

is it ever too cold for ice cream? I think Not.

If you're too busy for God, then it's time to change your schedule

Through your trials and troubles, in your victories and triumphs, Bless the Lord at All Times!

You really don't know what your fruit looks like until those you disciple are making disciples. #2Timothy2vs2

"The word 'listen' contains the same letters as the word 'silent.' " - Alfred Brendel

If God be for us, Who cares who is against us.

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend

Whenever the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future

The best things in life have no price tag because there is no amount of money that can replace the things you have in your heart

When you go through storms in your life, you can either be pitiful or powerful, your attitude determines your victory...

A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.

I need to buy a new alarm clock. The one I have keeps going off while I'm asleep.

Rise and Shine! It's the first day of the rest of your life

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.

God will not lead you where He cannot help you.
Merely thinking about forgiving someone does no good. Forgiveness requires action.
~
Jimmy Malone

Let the other men do the talking and the criticizing, and we will stick to the work that God has given us to do. #DLMoody

The Cockroach Principle: Whatever multiplies takes over. #churchplanting

A boy at Taylor Elementary, upon inspecting my Bassets Hounds, remarked, "Those are some mighty fine dogs you got there, mister." #manners #smalltown

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." #Edgar Allen Poe

You know how to kill time? Work it to death. -Bud Alexis #oldmarines
~
Katie McWilliams - “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” - Thomas Carlyle
~
Debbie Troquille - I read this and thought it was good. "One half the trouble, in life, can be traced to saying yes too quickly, and not saying no soon enough!" Sounds like a stop and think, before you speak, kind of lesson. I "think" I'll do that! Have a super day, friends!
~~~~~
This was posted on the "All Who Love Books!" Facebook page. "if you could only select 5 books to be stranded on a desert island with, which ones would it be?" I Wondered what y'all's answer would be? Also, how many of us will have many of the same?

Mine are:

The Bible (New King James Version)

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Stranger In a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Now, if I were starting a library on that island I'd like to have:

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

A Walk Across America By Peter Jenkins

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Flight of the Intruder by Stephen Coonts

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by Wm. Paul Young

Flags of Our Fathers James Bradley (Author), Ron Powers (Author)

Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany Stephen E. Ambrose (Author)

The Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45 by Stephen E. Ambrose

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO 1918-1956 by ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN
~~~~~
AskBob - - Bob Rankin - - Windows XP: The End is Near [http://askbobrankin.com/windows_xp_the_end_is_near.html?awt_l=HZr.N&awt_m=J9iljjpO68P6SL]

If you are still clinging to Windows XP, it’s time to get serious about upgrading to another operating system. Microsoft will end all support for XP on April 8, 2014 -- one year from today. That may seem far off, and to some users it may seem trivial. But neither assumption is true. If you're still using XP, here's what you need to know now...
~~~~~
Want to know something about your ancestors? See Amber at the Columbia County Library for free access to Ancestory.com.
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web.
~
Greetings,

Good news from Free Burma Rangers in Thailand.

13 April, 2013
Karenni State, Burma
Written By: Free Burma Rangers

Dear friends,

On Friday afternoon, 22 March, a fire devastated the Mae Surin Refugee Camp, home to more than 3,605 people. The deadly fire killed 39 people and left 2300 homeless. The response of people wanting to help has been swift. Thank you for part in this and for the help for these Karenni families. Here is an update and photos of the situation and a thank you for all who helped. This report is written by the team we sent to help.

[http://www.michaelyon-online.com/fbr-report-the-burning-of-karenni-camp-2-and-relief-efforts.htm]

Very Respectfully,
Michael Yon
Your Writer,

Please remember that this website accepts no advertisement and is dependent on your support.

PS Please sign up for my Twitter.com updates at "Michael_Yon" [http://twitter.com/Michael_Yon] (not Michael Yon).

http://www.facebook.com/#/MichaelYonFanPage?ref=sgm
~
www.michaelyon-online.com
~
Http://www.michaelyon_online.com/index.php
~~~~~
If you would like to encourage US Troops overseas, but are not sure just how to begin, visit www.anysoldier.com for ideas.
~~~~~
5 Things New Veterans Expect From All Candidates

1. Defend the New GI Bill

2. Employ the New Greatest Generation

3. Prevent suicide among troops and veterans

4. Build a truly 21st Century VA

5. Improve Care for Female Veterans

http://iava.org/blog/5-things-new-veterans-expect-all-candidates-2012
~~~~~
Please remember ... America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the MALL.
~~~~~
DarynKagan.com - - I have for you today an amazingly generous athlete, incredible dogs saving our lives, & a kitchen trick that really works!

Enjoy!

-Daryn

Star Athlete Giving Up Career To Become Bone Marrow Donor For A Stranger [http://darynkagan.com/Sports.html]

America's Most Elite Dogs Saving Lives Around The Word #Amazing Behind The Scenes Look
http://darynkagan.com/DarynKagan.com_Animals.html

Crazy Simple Trick For Separating Eggs #You Know You'll Have To Try It!
http://darynkagan.com/Overcoming_Obstacles.html
~~~~~

ACC: "Shoddy journalism" is to blame for poor public understanding of chemicals
A blogger's promotion of a story that ran on "Dateline NBC" claiming health dangers from trace levels of bisphenol A and phthalates is an example of "shoddy journalism," writes Jon Entine of the George Mason Genetic Literacy Project. The show, the blogger and the National Resources Defense Council are misleading the public on the science behind the claims, Entine argues. "[H]ere we have a problematic study hyped erroneously by science-challenged activists only to be picked up by science-absent television journalists only to be recycled back to the public by anti-chemical activists," he writes. Forbes (4/18) [http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/04/18/national-resources-defense-council-nrdc-champions-shoddy-journalism-on-endocrine-active-chemicals/]
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com
http://www.shelfari.com/bugsbleat/shelf
~~~~~
Photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include - - Earthday photos.
~~~~~
For the latest issue of "Da Bleat.", go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com.
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
BreakPoint - - 'A Grand and Holy Scheme'
Charles W. Colson
By: Eric Metaxas - Published: April 22, 2013

Most of us have sat, head in hands asking, “What in the world is God doing with my life?”

Eric Metaxas

As you may know, yesterday was the one-year anniversary of the death of BreakPoint’s founder, Chuck Colson.

Chuck was and is a tremendous inspiration to me for many reasons, but above all, because he taught me that when you give everything to God, only then are you truly free.

Most BreakPoint listeners are probably familiar with the story of how Chuck became involved in the 1968 presidential campaign, working hard to get Richard Nixon elected. Nixon then appointed him as his special counsel and gave him the office next to his own.

Later, as the storm clouds of Watergate gathered, Chuck, who for some time had felt an emptiness inside, visited his old friend Tom Phillips. Phillips spoke to Chuck about Christ, prayed for him, and gave him a copy of C.S. Lewis' book, “Mere Christianity.” A few minutes later, in Tom’s driveway, Chuck began to weep. Sitting alone in his car in the darkness, Chuck Colson gave his heart to God.

Meanwhile, Watergate Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski wanted Chuck to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of conspiring to break into the offices of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist. Now Chuck had engaged in many dirty tricks during his years in politics, but this was not one of them. At the same time, in his heart, Chuck knew he had contributed to the deeply immoral atmosphere in the White House. Before God, he knew he was terribly guilty.

And so over the objections of his attorney, Chuck decided he had no alternative than to voluntarily confess to a crime he had committed and trust God with the outcome.

So he pled guilty to “disseminating derogatory information to the press about Daniel Ellsberg while he was a criminal defendant.” The result was a shockingly harsh sentence of one-to-three years.

In prison, the man who’d once had an office next to the president’s spent his days mopping floors and doing laundry. He also undertook serious Bible study. And he began to realize that he was in prison for a purpose.

As I write in my new book, “7 Men and the Secret of their Greatness,” Chuck “saw that God had brought him to [prison] to teach him not only that his fellow prisoners were his brothers in Christ but also so that he could identify with them and see the world from their perspective.” He also “saw that his prison sentence and his suffering were part of a grand and holy scheme. God humbled him and brought him to prison precisely so that Chuck could help these men.”

When Chuck was released after serving seven months, he started Prison Fellowship Ministries, Newsletter_Gen_180x180_Bkeeping his promise to the prisoners he’d left behind. He later started BreakPoint and other ministries. And he became a William Wilberforce for his times, righting wrongs and teaching people to think.

Many people consider Chuck a great man because he spent nearly half his life bringing Christ to prisoners. But I think Chuck’s greatest act was voluntarily confessing to a crime that nobody knew about. The one-time White House “hatchet man” was willing, for the sake of justice and his Christian witness, to go to prison when he could have avoided it. And it was that sacrifice that led to all the other achievements in Chuck’s long and busy life. He was a great witness to the divine teaching that when we honor God, He will honor us.

If you know young men who could benefit from examples of heroic manhood like Chuck Colson’s, I hope you’ll consider giving them copies of my book, 7 Men and the Secret of their Greatness. You can find out how to get it at BreakPoint.org.

Through the lives of Chuck Colson and others they’ll learn that God holds for each of us “a grand and holy scheme.”
Further Reading and Information

BP-Takeaction_42213"A Grand and Holy Scheme": Charles W. Colson - Next Steps
One of the questions which nags at every young person, but at young men especially, is "What's God going to do with my life?"

Amidst the many ways God used Chuck, in prison ministry, exploring and spreading the Christian worldview, and bringing the Church together around the vital issues of our day, most people would select some outstanding achievement as the moment when God most powerfully worked through him.

But as you've just heard, Chuck himself considered the strength God gave him to admit to a crime no one knew he'd committed as perhaps the greatest turning point in his life. The moral courage and humility required to do what's right and allow Christ to seize your life changes everything -- and inevitably leads to true greatness.

As we head toward the end of our series on Eric Metaxas' new book, "7 Men," we hope you'll join us in reflecting on the life of one of our heroes. We also hope you'll take the time to use this book and teach a young man in your life the meaning of true greatness, and how God's plan for him means doing the right thing right where he is.

Books:

7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness
[http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=2191_7MEN]
Eric Metaxas | Thomas Nelson Publishers | April 2013

Mere Christianity
[http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=0060652888]
C. S. Lewis | HarperOne | March 2001
Websites:
William Wilberforce conference registration
[http://www.colsoncenter.org/wilberforce-weekend-2013]

ColsonCenter.org

[http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries]

Copyright © 2013 Colson Center. All Rights Reserved

~~~~~
Residents of Columbia County, Arkansas are represented in Congress by:
~

Senator John Boozman (R_ AR)
1 Russell Courtyard
Washington DC, 20510
Phone: 202-224-4843
http://boozman.senate.gov/
~
Senator Mark Pryor (D_ AR)
Phone 202_224_2353
FAX 202_228_0908
http://pryor.senate.gov/
~
Representative Tom Cotton (R )
Phone 202_225_3772
FAX 202_225_1314
http://cotton.house.gov/

Other states congresspersons can be found at: [http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/]
~~~~~
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

"The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun." - John D. Rockefeller

"If it's very painful for you to criticize your friends -- you're safe in doing it. But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to hold your tongue." - Alice Duer Miller

"It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it." - Amelia Barr

"Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." - H. L. Mencken

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer
~~~~~
Breaking Christian News

George Beverly Shea Goes Home To Jesus - - Dan Wooding (Apr 17, 2013)
He died Tuesday evening following a brief illness.
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=11282

"Trial of the Century" Exposes Gosnell's Heinous Practices - - Aimee Herd (Apr 17, 2013)
"Gosnell trained his staff to do ultrasounds a certain way to make fetuses look smaller, but some were breathing and moving when delivered, staff testified. One recalled that after Gosnell snipped the neck of one born at 30 weeks, he joked that it was big enough to 'walk to the bus stop.'" -NBC Report
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=11279

editor@breakingchristiannews.com

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

GCF: Defensive Driving Course

One of my co-workers got a speeding ticket and was attending a defensive-driving course to have points erased from her license. The instructor, a police officer, emphasized that being on time was crucial and that the classroom doors would be locked when each session began.

Just after one class started, someone knocked on the locked door. The officer opened it and asked, "Why are you late?"

The student replied, "I was trying not to get another ticket."

The officer let him in.
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Traveling Tip

Here's a little tip from me to you as an experienced traveler. Wake-up calls are the worst way to wake up. The phone rings, it's loud and you can't turn it down.

I leave the number of the room next to me.

It just rings very quietly and you hear the person next door yell, "Why are you calling me?"

Then you get up and take a shower.

It's great.
_ _______________________________ _
The nine-year-old daughter walked in while her mother was getting ready for work.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Putting on my wrinkle cream," mom answered.

"Oh," she said, walking away. "I thought they were natural."
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Exercise

I'm so tired of exercising. I think five thousand sit-ups or jumping jacks should be pretty much permanent. You should be at home, you're on your last and final jumping jack, and you get that phone call, "Congratulations! You have completed the exercise portion of your life. Welcome to the incessant eating section."
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Yeah, That'll Work

This technician's company uses satellite communications to send and receive messages from tugboats moving barges up and down major rivers. Each day, by 2 p.m., the tugboats send data on the day's activities to the company's traffic department.

At least that's how it's supposed to work.

"I got a call from our traffic department saying they only got data from about half the boats, and would I check on it?" technician says.

He calls the satellite company, but the technician there says there's no problem on his end.

Meanwhile, the traffic department calls again -- they're still not getting messages from the missing boats.

"So I called the boats and got them to re-send the messages, and they came through," says our tech. "The problem apparently cleared itself up."

But he isn't quite satisfied. "I called the satellite company back to see what happened, and what we could do if the problem recurred."

Satellite company's technician doesn't know what happened and doesn't have any way of finding out. "In order to track the messages, we would need an identification number from the message," he tells our tech.

We could find out those numbers eventually, he figures.

"Also, the identification numbers are recycled every half hour," tech continues.

"So I need to get you the identification number within that time?" he asks.

"Right", says the satellite tech.

"So to summarize," says our tech glumly, "we need to give you the identification numbers of the messages we haven't received, within half an hour of not receiving them?"
_ _______________________________ _
\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Teamwork is essential. \ /
\ _/ It allows you to blame \_ /
/ / someone else. \ \
_) )_
(((\ \>|_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_|<> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
IF WOMEN TRUSTED THEIR HUSBANDS !

Integrity is doing the right thing whether or not someone's watching.

There comes a time when a woman just has to trust her husband...

A wife comes home late at night, and quietly opens the door to her bedroom.

From under the blanket she sees four legs instead of two.

She reaches for a baseball bat and starts hitting the blanket as hard as she can.

Leaving the covered bodies groaning, she goes to the kitchen to have a drink.

As she enters, she sees her husband there, reading a magazine.

"Hi Darling", he says, "Your parents have come to visit us, so I let them stay in our bedroom. Did you say "hello"?

Thanks To Joe Mullins
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
The Snow Plow

On a bitterly cold winter's morning a husband and wife who had moved from College Station Texas to Ohio were listening to the radio during breakfast.

They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so Snowplows can get through conveniently".

So the good wife went out and moved her car as instructed.

A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the street, so the snowplows can get through." The good wife went out and moved her car again.

The next week they are again having breakfast when the radio announcer says, "We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today. You must park ..." then the power went off.

The good wife was very upset and with a worried look on her face she said, "I don't know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park on so the snowplows can get through?"

Then, with all the love and understanding in his voice that men who are married to blondes always exhibit, the husband replied, "Why don't you just leave the car in the garage this time?"

Thanks to Joe Mullins
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Not Right

"Johnny," said the teacher, "if coal is selling at $6 a ton and you pay your dealer $24, how many tons will he bring you?"

"A little over three tons, ma'am," said Johnny.

"Why, Johnny, that isn't right," said the teacher.

"No, ma'am, I know it isn't," said Johnny, "but they all do it."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(_:][:_)

Groaner: Endangered Species

An exciting new development in marine biology promised to extend the lifespan of an endangered species of porpoise. In fact, the data suggested that if a specific kind of African seagull, freshly out of the egg, was fed to the porpoises every day without fail, they would actually live forever!

The big challenge was to gather this food supply, this equivalent of chicken dinners for oceanic mammals, on a regular basis. There were many problems, including the fact that it could be dangerous, as these seagulls were found near water holes where all sorts of large game animals congregated.

But this was an important ecological breakthrough, so teams were sent out right away. They worked diligently to supply the necessary small fowl.

One afternoon, an intrepid gull-gatherer on his way back to base from the water hole encountered a pride of lions taking their afternoon nap.

As they were blocking his way, and his day's catch of seagull hatchlings was needed right away, he carefully stepped over the lions that were directly in his path.

That spelled the end of the experiment. The porpoises, deprived of their special diet, not only did not live forever, but they also became extinct.

That was because an alert game control officer had spotted the team member, arrested him, confiscated his equipment and baggage, and charged him with ... transporting young gulls across sedate lions for immortal porpoises.

Received from Stan Kegel.

(_:][:_)

Sky Diving

A man finally summons the courage to go sky diving for the very first time. The preparation and plane flight go smoothly, but immediately after jumping from the plane, he is unable to get his parachute to deploy. As he hurtles towards the earth, he is shocked to see a man rocketing upwards toward him. As they pass in the air, the skydiver yells, "Do you know anything about parachutes?"

The second man responds, "No. Do you know anything about gas grills?"

Received from Mark McEathron.

(_:][:_)

Modern Tools

Hammer - In ancient times a hammer was used to inflict pain on one's enemies. Modern hammers are used to inflict pain on oneself.

Screwdriver - The drink ordered at the local bar after you call in a professional repairman to undo the $500 in damage you did while trying to change out a light socket with your handy screwdriver.

Phillips Screwdriver - The bar drink that you order when the damage estimate is over $1,000. Contains twice the vodka.

Pliers - A device used to extend your reach the necessary few inches when you drop a one-of-a-kind screw down behind the new wall it took you two weeks to install.

Electronic Stud Finder - An annoying device that never goes off when you point it at yourself.

Halogen Light - A worklight that lights up your backyard with the incandescence of a football stadium, causing you to cast a heavy shadow over the area you're working on so that you need to use a flashlight anyway.

Cordless Drill - A device that lessens your chance of electrocution 90% over a standard plug-in tool.

Cordless Telephone - The handyman's 911.

Air Compressor - A mechanical device similar in principle to harnessing the power of your mother-in-law's nagging complaints and using the resulting airflow to blast old paint off the side of the house.

Chain Saw - Allows you to cut your way out of the shed that you accidentally built completely around yourself.

Vise Grips - A pair of helping hands that doesn't critique the job you're doing or offer advice.

Received from Ed.

(_:][:_)
--
Rate this funny at
http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20120420

Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List
A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a)
Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA

To print or email this funny to others, go to
http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20120420

The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at
http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Column - -

Limerick of the Week - - May 5th, 2013

It’s time to announce the latest Limerick of the Week based on submissions (on this blog and on Facebook) in last week’s Limerick-Off.

Congratulations to Tim James, who wins Limerick of the Week for this funny verse:

The party was starting to hum
On a fishing boat well-stocked with rum,
Till the captain’s friend, drunk,
With the sharks took a dunk.
Now he’s known as the skipper’s best chum.

Congratulations to Steve Whitred and Will T. Laughlin, who jointly win a special Limerick Puzzle/Repartee Award for this limerick exchange, which begins with Steve’s puzzle in multi-verse limerick form and ends with Will’s solution, also in multi-verse limerick form:

Steve Whitred:

So this week when the rhyme word is hum
And I’ve o’er used … ‘dum’, ‘thumb’, and ‘bum’.
A conundrum I’ll pose.
Will you solve it, who knows?
I suspect though, it’s too tough for some.

Now the gears in my head start to hum,
As the clues for this puzzle forth come.
You’ve got 12 coins of gold,
But there’s one that is old.
It’s weight’s off from the rest, by a crumb.

You’ve a scale (not of music to hum).
It’s two pans on a chain, and it’s plumb.
With this scale weigh the gold
‘Till at last you behold
The coin others are different from.

If at this point you’re all thinking hummm…,
Here’s a clue to begin, don’t be glum.
Place some coins in each pan.
If they balance you can
Safely say that it’s not in that scrum.

Since you now see this isn’t ho-hum,
One more thing, please don’t think I’m a bum.
The odd coin may be light
Or just overweight, slight.
And three weighing’s the goal. Good luck chum.

Will T. Laughlin:

Here’s the method that I would employ:
Choose *any* two coins, Steve my boy…
Take one coin (your choice),
Weigh it avoirdupois,
And then measure the other in troy.

No, no: please don’t give me a beating.
I know that this method is cheating.
If you’d rather instead,
I’ll try using my head…
(Quite a change from my usual bleating).

– ahem –

Put six and six pieces of eight
On the scales, and determine their weight.
You’ll notice one side
Slightly higher will ride:
That’s the side we’ll be working with. Great:

Take the coins from the light side, and see
How they measure up, weighed three and three.
Once again you’ll behold
That there’s one tray of gold
Slightly lighter, comparatively.

Now the answer’s so clear it could bite one:
The lighter half must have the right one.
So compare one and one.
If they’re equal, you’re done;
If they’re not, then you just choose the light one.

(You can read Steve’s solution to his own puzzle here in prose form.)

And congratulations to these Honorable Mention winners (in random order) Jane Shelton Hoffman, Colleen Murphy, Phyllis Sterling Smith a/k/a Granny Smith, David Lefkovits a/k/a Dr. Goose, Johanna Richmond, Sue Dulley, and Robert Schechter. Here are their respective Honorable Mention limericks:

Jane Shelton Hoffman:

Beethoven first started to hum
As a child when he still sucked his thumb.
As he crawled on the floor,
He’d come up with a score.
His FIRST tune was “Dot dot dot dum.”

Phyllis Sterling Smith:

Just as things were beginning to hum,
Along came a fellow so dumb:
He chose a fine cello
With tone sweet and mellow.
With pick he then started to strum.

David Lefkovits:

A fellow would constantly hum
The chorus from “Under My Thumb.”
He said, with a swagger,
“My moves are like Jagger;
Just see how I’m shaking my bum.”

Johanna Richmond:

To the dentist who’d constantly hum
While poking and prodding her gum:
She cried, “Hate to sound sore
But just how much more
Anesthesia would make my ears numb?”

Sue Dulley:

The lobby was starting to hum.
Reporters closed in for the scrum.
But soon all were vexed
When “No comment” and “Next?”
Were the closest to answers they’d come.

Congratulations again to all the winners for your wonderful limericks. And thanks to everyone for your fun submissions.

© Madeleine Begun Kane. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.madkane.com/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
What Love means to a 4-8 year old...

Touching words from the mouth of babes..

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds,

'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined

See what you think:

'When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing , you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mom and Daddy are like that.
They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better , you should start with a friend who you hate , '
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt , then he wears it every day.'
Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mom gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mom sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mom sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross..'
Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it , you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

And the final one

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry , the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard , climbed onto his lap , and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor , the little boy said , 'Nothing , I just helped him cry'.

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Thanks To Waneta
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." __ Franklin D. Roosevelt
"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
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
“A political class of Republicans and Democrats that look after themselves, not the Nation. A media hostile to the very precepts of this nation. A generation of Americans who see morals as vices, and are ignorant of America's Actual History.”
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - - Theodore Roosevelt
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Interested in getting in touch with the Banner_News through e_mail? editor@bannernews.net For the editor, news@bannernews.net For news and sports items, Coming Events, Diary, Church News, school and civic events. [http://www.bannernews.net/]
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." __ "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" __ "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." __ "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." _ _ "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." _ _ Paul Troquille
“Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.” Knowledge is power. _ Francis Bacon
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day _ James F. McClellan via John "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" __"Bug"
God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
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@suddenlink.net
. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. The latest issue is usually updated sometime Saturday. For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. We also have a site [http://bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com/] where we post photos that I like.
We appreciate your encouragement. We also appreciate your communication when you desire to be taken off our mail list. If you are on this mail list by mistake or do not wish to receive "Da Bleat," please reply back and tell us to discontinue service to you.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: New Year's Dinner


Here are some of our favorite photos from 2012


MCC Hamburger Supper


Dusty polishes his boots.


Ethan pulls out the train set.


Annette meets a new friend.


Our favorite "Bed" in the community garden.


Randy and Scott learn to disect an eyeball.


Do Boys enjoyed the "Boxing For Books" program.


You can't play the Wii without some body english.


"Da Boys" enjoy chalk drawing.


At the swimming pool.


4th of July Fire Works.


Participating in the Chick Fil A "Eat In"



Ethan opens a model of a P-51 that looks like a real winner.



Zac enjoys the Christmas Spirit.



Annette took this photo of me after I was released from MRMC on the 26th.



Dusty and the boys watch over the present distribution.










Volume 14, Issue 52 Monday, December 31, 2012

Hello ALL,

Words of Wisdom from a smart woman, Debbie Troquille; "Kind of weary, on this wonderful day, of hearing news reports of how awful this "fiscal year cliff" will be! We can all make it....no matter what, AND it may mean less take home money, but less spending wouldn't hurt any of us either! Don't like bullying....from government!"
~~~~~
Speaking of Wisdom, all of us want our kids to be educated. School was never a pleasure for me. I was an only child, used to having life my way and the teachers weren’t really interested in catering to my every whim. It was a big shock to my system.

It was the same for our kids. When David returned from his first day of school, we asked him how it went. He answered; “Well I don’t know how to read yet and the teacher won’t let me talk.”

Vanessa’s teacher contacted us to report that Vanessa never said anything in class. Annette asked her why she wasn’t talking and Vanessa replied; “They told us to be quiet.”

Of course, teachers have more on their minds than the “three Rs” Aunt Jerry’s teacher opened her desk one morning to find a man’s arm lying in the drawer. There had been an accident on the railroad and some school kids had dug up the arm behind the doctor’s house and placed it in the teacher’s desk.

Speaking of School at Taylor . . . Hattie Lee Whaley was in my mother’s class. One day in study hall, she asked to go to the bathroom and the teacher replied; “you girls just want to go visit, you can’t go to the bathroom when you’re in study hall.” Hattie Lee was furious but politely sat still for the rest of the period.

The next day, Hattie Lee brought a “tow sac” with her to study hall and hung it on a nail by her desk. After a few minutes, she asked to go to the bath room. Again the teacher denied her request. So Hattie Lee got up from her desk holding a tin syrup can (like many kids used to carry their lunch), pulled the “tow sac” off the nail, stepped into it and pulled it back up. She then reached down to the bottom of the sac, opened the syrup can and removed a mason jar of water she had in it (of course, none of this could be seen by anyone else in the study hall.) She opened the mason jar and, squatting in the sac, slowly poured the water into the syrup can.

You can imagine the sound.

Then she sealed the jar back up. Put it back in the can and sealed the can back up. Stepped out of the “tow sac,” hung it back on the wall and set back down at her desk.

She was never denied permission to use the bath room again.

In the second grade, one of my classmates called me pumpkin man. So I started chasing her down the hall. She fled out the south door of the school with me in hot pursuit. I didn’t slow down to open the door, just hit it with my right hand. It was a traditional “French style” multipane door. My right arm went through one of the panes. My first concern wasn’t the blood, it was the broken glass that I was gonna get punished for. So I hid in the boy’s bathroom, holding my bleeding wrist over the toilet. Fortunately, the basketball coach followed the blood trail into the bathroom and put a pressure bandage on my wrist. Then he drove me to Magnolia where Dr. Wilson only took 28 stitches to close the wounds.

Uncle Fort hid his report card in a bale of cotton one day on his way home from school. He told his mother he’d lost the report card. Unfortunately (for him) his dad was looking to buy a bale of cotton and reached in that particular bale to sample the product. Out he came with Fort’s report card.

Annette, true to form, was a straight A student. Except for that one “F” in conduct in the seventh grade. Coach Henry warned her; “one more word out of you and you’ll get an “F” in conduct.” To which Annette responded; “But Coach Henry!” The grade went into the book.

Amazing that any of us got educated isn’t it.
~~~~~
Before I forget, Happy New Year y’all.
~~~~~
I’ve read approximately 120 books in 2012. Here are some of my favorites:

The homecoming of Samuel Lake / by Jenny Wingfield.

Dead Men Flying : / Patrick Henry Brady.

Fearless : the undaunted courage and ultimate sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown / Eric Blehm.

Into the fire : a first-hand account of the most extraordinary battle in the Afghan War / Dakota Meyer and Bing West.

Farm city : the education of an urban farmer / Novella Carpenter.

The Long Walk / Brian Castner.

Sealab : America's forgotten quest to live and work on the ocean floor / Ben Hellwarth.

All in : the education of General David Petraeus / Paula Broadwell with Vernon Loeb.
~~~~~
Some good folks passed in 2012 [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#50307800] including:

Neil Armstrong
Ernest Borgnine
Robert Bork
Ray Bradbury
Dick Clark
Charles Colson
Phyllis Diller
Michael Clarke Duncan
Andy Griffith
Whitney Houston
Daniel Inouye
Etta James
Davy Jones
Alex Karras
Rodney King
George McGovern
Russell Means
Joe Paterno
Sally Ride
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf
Christopher Stevens
Kitty Wells
Andy Williams
Mike Wallace


Locally, we lost:

Tony Wilson
Sterling Lacy
Dianne Groves Payne
Bob Gantt, III
Gary Foreman
Michael Kelley
Henry Pletcher
Sue Shinn
Edith Woolsey Nalls
Sammie Albright
Billy Glynn Cozart
"Pete" Schmidt
MargRyn Kinard Schomburg
Donnie Bowhunter Griffin
Giles G. Gillespie
Diane Burdine Dyson
Jimmy Otwell
Harold H. Fincher
Col. James (Jim) Hughes
Eddie Ray Epperson
Tony Ray Scott
Mike Telford
Sherry Puckett
David Pesses
Elizabeth Gordon


God Speed Y’all
~~~~~
Joe Tudor and Chuck Jackson shared this “SCIENCE FACT:” If you took all of the veins from your body and laid them end to end, you would die.
~~~~~
Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not promise to do something you can ACTUALLY accomplish? Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:

~ Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
~ Stop exercising. Waste of time.
~ Read less. Makes you think.
~ Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
~ Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
~ Spend more time at work, surfing the web.
~ Take a vacation to someplace important, like to see the world's largest ball of twine.
~ Don't jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.
~ Stop bringing lunch from home--eat out more.
~ Don't have eight children at once.
~ Get in a whole NEW rut!
~ Personal goal: Don't bring back disco.
~ Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabic words.
~ Spend my summer vacation in cyberspace.
~ Create loose ends.
~ Get more toys.
~ Get further in debt.
~ Don't believe politicians.
~ Break at least one traffic law.
~ Don't drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice.
~ Don't swim with piranhas or sharks.
~ Spread out priorities beyond the ability to keep track of them.
~ Wait for opportunity to knock.
~ Focus on the faults of others.
~ Never make New Year's resolutions again.
~~~~~
Favorite Quotes:
John Harden shared Lee Brewer's status update. A C.S. Lewis quote

“You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.”
~~~~~
The following wisdom is shared by our friends.
~
Barbara Grafton Daniels
Before You Speak ... THINK!
T - Is it true?
H - Is it helpful?
I - Is it inspiring?
N - Is it necessary?
K - Is it kind?
~
Nancee Davis Law
everyone thinks they have it harder then the next, but if we all put our problems in a hat to pick from, I'm sure we'd take our own back.

Me and my family - we may not have it all together...But together we have it all.

Someday you will wake up and the house will be clean, BUT your babies will be all grown up and on their own.

Sometimes, the right thing to do and the hardest thing to do are the same.
~
Jimmy Malone
What we call "living on what we have" the U S Government calls a Fiscal Cliff... #justsayin

You can't train your children to be exceptional and ask why they aren't normal.
~~~~~
As my last opinion piece of 2012, I’ve got to say that the "War On Drugs" is an immoral failure. Very much like the failure of prohibition 80 years ago. We're spending BILLIONS housing drug offenders and building more prisons every day. [http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs]

In 2011 50% of federal inmates were there on drug charges. A friend whose opinion I value told me that probably 75% of the federal inmates were just costing the taxpayers money while learning to be better, more dedicated criminals. In fact, we spend about $40,000 a year per inmate and $5,000 a year each educating our kids. Something is wrong here.

Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministry advocates Restitution in lieu of imprisonment for non violent offenders. We've used a similar program locally to reduce prison overcrowding. The offender is required to provide restitution as well as completing a high school equivalency, doing community service and having a job. It's been very successful.

I won't even discuss the profit motive for longer prison terms (see the explosive growth of private prisons who strongly lobby for stricter laws and longer terms.)

Legalizing drugs such as Pot and Coke and treating them as we treat alcohol would greatly reduce illegal profits and reduce the prison population. Don’t get me wrong, not every crime should be legalized. Not every drug should be legalized.

I'm not a Libertarian. I call the drug war immoral because so many have suffered for the enrichment of so few. Like alcohol prohibition, legalizing activities that the public has shown a propensity to engage in would save the taxpayers huge amounts of resources. Resources which are currently wasted in trying to stop an activity that too large a percentage of the public support. Our law enforcement would be better used to control this trade after it's legalized.

I wish that everyone didn't use drugs (alcohol, pot, coke, etc.) But that's not really realistic. Our current policy enriches the Drug Cartels and US prison builders and private operators. The public pays both the Cartels and the Prison Industry. They pay the Prison Industry directly via taxes and the Cartels indirectly through thefts, etc. by drug users.

Legalization isn't going to be simple. Colorado is already finding that out. For instance, current "drug" tests "fail" the employee tested with a certain relatively low amount of Pot or Coke in their system. Should industry keep the current standard for all employees or just those in certain occupations (i.e. Law enforcement, Nuclear plant workers or airline pilots) and allow a higher level of "residue" in other employees. For instance, the current industry standard for alcohol (via breathalyzer) is 30% lower than that allowed by most states for driving ... and probably rightly so.

My bottom line is that our current "War on Drugs" policy has failed miserably and will continue to fail as long as we refuse to acknowledge that it's based on a huge demand for the product by many citizens.

The Mexican Cartels wouldn't be planting pot in our National Forests if there was not a substantial profit involved. Legalization would remove the profit from most of the crooks. Or is the Mafia still heavily involved in bootlegging?

Some call drug use a "victimless crime." I disagree. I’ve seen the results of drug and alcohol abuse. But these are really illnesses not crimes.

Many folks will disagree, and I understand that, but if you look at the record, we have done a pathetic job in fighting these crimes while greatly enriching the nations and crime cartels involved in supplying the public with the "commodities" it so desperately wants. Decriminalizing may be starting us down a slippery slope morally, but I don't see that our efforts are appreciated by the majority of Americans and we pay a king's ransom for what we are doing poorly. If you have exhausted yourself paddling upstream and find you have made no progress, perhaps it is time you reverse course and manage your tour of the sites downstream. Remember what Einstein said about insanity.

When speaking of immorality of imprisonment, I'm not talking about actual drug dealers but the small users I've seen who ended up serving long sentences for "relatively" minor infractions. It doesn't make sense to me that we pay for their incarceration and lose what they could contribute to society at the same time. I’d rather see alternative sentencing for almost all non violent offenders. Again, my main reason for this stand is the billions that we spend housing these low level offenders. To me that money would be much better spent ensuring that they make FULL restitution to those they wronged and performing community service.

As for investing in tobacco, alcohol or gambling ... I'm out. I have no interest in profiting from such activities. In fact, I watch my investments fairly closely and I'm not shy in requesting that my brokers divest any such companies from my portfolio. Like Jerry Clower said; "The Bible don't say don't drink. I wish it did."
~~~~~
AskBob - - Bob Rankin - - The AskBob website was a busy place in 2012 -- over 240 new articles were published this year, and readers streamed in from all over the world. Since I'm a numbers guy, I scanned the logs to find the most popular articles, based on your views, clicks, and recommendations. Here are ten of the top articles for you to review. I hope you'll read each one and leave your own comments...

http://askbobrankin.com/askbobs_best_of_2012_part_one.html?awt_l=HZr.N&awt_m=JhM42KmF08P6SL

http://askbobrankin.com/askbobs_best_of_2012_part_two.html?awt_l=HZr.N&awt_m=JehLf9bCW8P6SL
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web.
~
Greetings,

Please see this important dispatch. [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/some-thoughts-about-kingdom-of-thailand.htm]

Happy New Year!

Very Respectfully,
Michael Yon
Your Writer,

Please remember that this website accepts no advertisement and is dependent on your support.

PS Please sign up for my Twitter.com updates at "Michael_Yon" [http://twitter.com/Michael_Yon] (not Michael Yon).

http://www.facebook.com/#/MichaelYonFanPage?ref=sgm
~
www.michaelyon-online.com
~
Http://www.michaelyon_online.com/index.php
~~~~~
If you would like to encourage US Troops overseas, but are not sure just how to begin, visit www.anysoldier.com for ideas.
~~~~~
Please remember ... America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the MALL.
~~~~~
DarynKagan.com - - Strangers Give Man Best Seat At Blake Shelton Concert
http://darynkagan.com/heroism/2012/he_120905_blake_shelton_concert.html
~~~~~

ACC: Policy priorities are a major part of the job for American Chemistry Council President and CEO Cal Dooley, a former congressman. "Our industry, like any industry, advocates for a balanced approach" to regulation, Dooley said in an interview. "We try to operate in a very bipartisan manner. We have to manage our issues in a manner that's consistent with a very contentious and polarized political environment," he added. The Fresno Bee (Calif.) (http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/12/22/3111315/ex-rep-dooley-sees-a-more-polarized.html)
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com
http://www.shelfari.com/bugsbleat/shelf
~~~~~
Photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include - -.Shots of opening presents on Christmas Eve. And, my “flu mask” when I was discharged from MRMC on the 26th.
~~~~~
For the latest issue of "Da Bleat.", go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com.
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
BreakPoint - - Live to Serve
What Matters Most (Part 4)
By: Chuck Colson | Published: December 31, 2012

I'm John Stonestreet. Chuck Colson vowed to serve God til his last breath. Today, we re-publish Chuck's BreakPoint broadcast from New Year's Eve 2010 called "Live to Serve."

Ever since I was a boy, I was driven to serve my country. As a 10-year-old at the outbreak of World War II, I could only dream that one day I could put on a uniform and fight the enemy. But I did what I could. I organized a neighborhood drive to collect scrap metal for the war effort. Before I had reached 40 years of age, I had served as a captain in the Marines and as special counsel to President Nixon.

But beside my country, there was another cause I served wholeheartedly. That cause was me. Power, a great career, money, they were all mine. But then I lost them in the aftermath of Watergate.

And for that, I am profoundly grateful to God.

You see, with my world collapsing around me, I received Christ as Lord and Savior. And it was in the crucible of prison that God took my desire to serve myself and transformed it into something much greater. He gave me a desire to serve others—-particularly those who are abandoned by society, prisoners. I take no credit for this. None. Zero. I might as well take credit for the color of my eyes. It was God working His will in me, a great sinner.

I know all too well that since my release from prison more than 30 years ago, people have been watching me, to see if the old White House hatchet-man- turned-prison-evangelist would prove to be a phony.It puts a lot of pressure on me.

But I’ve got news for you. People are watching you, too! A weary world is watching with great skepticism all who profess Christ.

And that's one reason that we who “by grace have been saved through faith” must be about doing the “good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Read Ephesians 2:8-10). For it is through Christian acts of loving service—-especially to the more needy among us—-that the world will see the power and love of Christ, just as they see it in the prisons that we work in in our ministry.

History is full of examples. As plagues swept through ancient Rome, the wealthy pagans—even doctors—fled for their lives. But the Christians stayed behind to care for the sick and dying. That witness fueled the growth of the Church. Why was Mother Teresa beloved by religious and non-religious alike? Because she cared for the utterly destitute. It’s why, even in this, the most secular age ever, the Salvation Army is held in such high respect.

It’s that kind of selfless service that can bring even the most powerful man on earth to the verge of tears.

Let me explain.

In 2008 I received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bush. I did so on behalf of Prison Fellowship and the thousands of men and women, volunteers and staff, who make up this movement.

At the ceremony in the Oval Office, the President talked about what true redemption was. He told my family how he was with me when he met a prisoner—a convicted murderer—back in 1997 at our InnerChange Freedom Initiative in Texas. Then, five years later, the President received that very same man, Robert Sutton, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. I had brought him there with two other IFI graduates. Sutton told the President how the love of Christ, displayed through caring Christian volunteers, had transformed him. And at that point the President embraced him.

As the President told that story, tears came to his eyes, and tears to mine as well. That, my friends, is why we live to serve others. So the world may know that Christ is Lord.

Today's BreakPoint Offer

Please give a generous donation today to help Prison Fellowship and BreakPoint continue strong in the new year. Donate online or call 1-877-322-5527. Thank you!

For Further Reading and Information

“Human Dignity: What Matters Most, Part 1,” BreakPoint Commentary, 26 December 2008.

“Marriage and Family: What Matters Most, Part 2,” BreakPoint Commentary, 29 December 2008.

“Pray for the Church: What Matters Most, Part 3,” BreakPoint Commentary, 30 December 2008.

[http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries]

Copyright © 2012 Prison Fellowship. All Rights Reserved

~~~~~
Residents of Columbia County, Arkansas are represented in Congress by:
~

Senator John Boozman (R_ AR)
1 Russell Courtyard
Washington DC, 20510
Phone: 202-224-4843
http://boozman.senate.gov/
~
Senator Mark Pryor (D_ AR)
Phone 202_224_2353
FAX 202_228_0908
http://pryor.senate.gov/
~
Representative Tom Cotton (D _ 04)
Phone
FAX
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/politics/freshman-office-search/index.html
Other states congresspersons can be found at: [http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/]
~~~~~
THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

"Whoever is out of patience is out of possession of his soul." - Francis Bacon

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. " - Winston Churchill

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."- Jack London

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." - Charles Dickens

"If you lose the power to laugh, you lose the power to think." - Clarence Darrow

"My love is as a fever, longing still." - William Shakespeare

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." - John Burroughs

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." - Abraham Lincoln

"Have the courage to act instead of react." - Earlene Larson Jenks

"Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty." - John Selden
~~~~~
Breaking Christian News

150 Girls Rescued from Slavery - - Colette Bercu (Dec 23, 2012) - - "The results are significantly better than what we had expected for 2011. Needless to say, we are thrilled about this. Even if just one girl had been rescued and spared the trauma of being a sex slave the stations would have been a great victory." -Colette Bercu, CEO Free for Life
[http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=10877]

The Cross in Belfast - - Michael Ireland (Dec 26, 2012) - - "The purpose of the Cross Walk is to lift the Cross in and above the Centre of Belfast; to lift it above politics and political institutions; to lift it above violence and the threat of violence; to cause people to focus on the cross as a symbol of peace and reconciliation; to call for an end to the violence and the threat on violence on our streets." -Pastor Jack McKee
[http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=10891]

editor@breakingchristiannews.com

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

GCF: New Year's Dinner

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
----------------------------------------------------

As in many homes on New Year's Day, my wife and I faced the annual conflict of which was more important - the football games on television, or the dinner itself. To keep peace, I ate dinner with the rest of the family, and even lingered for some pleasant after-dinner conversation before retiring to the family room to turn on the game.

Several minutes later, my wife came downstairs and graciously even bought a cold drink for me. She smiled, kissed me on the cheek and asked what the score was. I told her it was the end of the third quarter and that the score was still nothing to nothing.

"See?" she said, continuing to smile, "You didn't miss a thing."
_ _____________________________________ _
GCF: Santa's Reindeer

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year (which are the only members of the deer family, Cervidae, to have females do so). Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.

Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolf to Blitzen........had to be a female.

We should have known this when they were able to find their way.
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Holiday Eating Tips

I hate aspects of this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it's the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds.

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later then you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other peoples food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Years, You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them, and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can't leave them behind. You're not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean have some standards, mate.

10. And one final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner.
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Fruitcake Recipe #2

(In case you read yesterday's post and want to make another fruitcake)

Items Needed:
4 Oz. Fruit Bits
4 Oz Dried Raisins
1 Railroad Tie
Wood Saw
Large Rubber Mallet
Safety Goggles

WEAR YOUR SAFETY GOGGLES. (Children: Get help from an adult!)

1. Cut a one-foot section from the middle of your railroad tie. The resulting block of wood should be the size and shape of a loaf of bread.

2. Take the fruit bits and raisins (five-year-old dried raisins are preferred) and pound them into the block with your rubber mallet. Spread the colors around, or you might wind up with an ugly fruitcake. Don't be afraid to throw some elbow grease into that mallet! Good fruit bits and dried raisins should be much harder than the railroad tie, so you can't break anything.

3. For best result, you should pretreat the fruit bits by setting them on top of your garage for a year (or by microwaving them on HIGH for 30 minutes).
4. Finally, cover it tightly in plastic wrap, and decorative paper with a lovely bow on top and give your loved ones the timeless and enduring gift of fruitcake!

WHO EVER EATS FRUITCAKE ANYWAY?

(Please don't send me email about this ... my wife loves fruitcake. But then, she's fond of me, too. Hmmmm.......)
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Fruitcake Recipe #1

1. Go to the crafts store.

2. Purchase one or more bags of dried fruit, some plaster of paris, brown paint and a disposable cake pan.

3. Return home.

4. Unwrap the dried fruit, carefully folding the wrapper inside-out and placing it at the bottom of your trash can. Better yet, send it through your personal paper shredder and use it for insulation in the attic.

5. Mix the plaster of paris with water and pour into the disposable cake pan. Place dried fruit on top, gently pushing in so it looks "baked" in the "batter." Let dry.

6. Take your "fruitcake" out of the disposable cake pan.

7. Cover the top, bottom and sides with brown paint, avoiding the fruit.

8. Wrap your "fruitcake" in festive, colored saran wrap and finish with a bow. I like using red wrap because it gives a warm glow to the "fruitcake."

9. Give your "fruitcake" to someone you want to impress. When they lift it, they'll say, "Wow! You must have made a really rich fruitcake!" Don't forget to smile and say, "Oh, its Paris-style fruitcake."

10. Don't worry about someone trying to eat your fruitcake. Nobody actually eats fruitcake ... that's just a rumor. Just so you know, the dried fruit won't go "bad" because it has the same preservatives as Twinkies, which have a shelf-life of about 237 years.
_ _______________________________ _
GCF: Airport Mistletoe

It was the beginning of December. The trip had gone reasonably well, and he was ready to go home. The airport on the other hand had turned a tacky red and green with loudspeakers blared annoying elevator renditions of cherished Christmas carols.

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

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

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

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

(pause)

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

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

(pause)

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

"It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."
_ _______________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_||_/ )___________________( \_|<> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
New Years Resolutions You Can Keep

Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not promise to do something you can ACTUALLY accomplish?

Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:

~ Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
~ Stop exercising. Waste of time.
~ Read less. Makes you think.
~ Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
~ Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
~ Spend more time at work, surfing the web.
~ Take a vacation to someplace important, like to see the world's largest ball of twine.
~ Don't jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.
~ Stop bringing lunch from home--eat out more.
~ Don't have eight children at once.
~ Get in a whole NEW rut!
~ Start being superstitious.
~ Personal goal: Don't bring back disco.
~ Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabic words.
~ Only wear jeans that are 2 sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a belt.
~ Spend my summer vacation in cyberspace.
~ Create loose ends.
~ Get more toys.
~ Get further in debt.
~ Don't believe politicians.
~ Break at least one traffic law.
~ Don't drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice.
~ Don't swim with piranhas or sharks.
~ Spread out priorities beyond the ability to keep track of them.
~ Wait for opportunity to knock.
~ Focus on the faults of others.
~ Mope about faults.
~ Never make New Year's resolutions again.

Received from Mikey's Funnies.

(_:][:_)

The "BE" Attitudes

Be understanding to your enemies.

Be loyal to your friends.

Be strong enough to face the world each day.

Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.

Be generous to those who need your help.

Be frugal with that you need yourself.

Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.

Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.

Be willing to share your joys.

Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.

Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.

Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.

Be last to criticize a colleague who fails.

Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.

Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.

Be loving to those who love you.

Be loving to those who do not love you; they may change.

Above all, be yourself.

Received from Joke du Jour.

(_:][:_)

Suspicious

Sometimes women are overly suspicious of their husbands.

When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset. "You're running around with other women," she charged.

"You're being unreasonable," Adam responded. "You're the only woman on earth." The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by someone poking him in the chest.

It was Eve. "What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.

"Counting your ribs," said Eve.

Received from Scott Neville.

(_:][:_)

Best Uses for Fruitcake

1. Bury it in the back yard for future archaeologists to discover.

2. Give it to your child for a science project.

3. Hang on to it to find out if there REALLY is more than one fruitcake that's making its rounds every year!

4. Use it to hold up a broken table or chair leg.

5. Mash several of them down and use for mortar when building a log cabin.

6. Use it as an exercise stepping block for step aerobics.

7. Donate to the Road Kill Cafe for a wonderful dessert.

8. Use them to pave freeways. Just place them on the road and run a steamroller over them.

9. Use them as fillers to repair the river levees. They last indefinitely and are so dense, water can never penetrate them.

10. Last and probably least - try eating it. That's one way to get rid of it!

Received from Joke du Jour.

(_:][:_)

Christmas One Liners

/* Merry Christmas! */

Q. What do you get if you cross mistletoe and a duck?
A. A Christmas Quacker.

Q. What do call Santa when he stops moving?
A. Santa Pause!

Q. Where does a snowman keep his money?
A. In a snow bank.

Q. Why do mummies like Christmas so much?
A. Because of all the wrapping!

Q. What goes in a chimney red and comes out of it black?
A. Santa Claus.

Q. What's white and red and goes up and down and up and
down?
A. Santa Claus in an elevator!

Q. How do you scare a snowman?
A. You get a hairdryer!

Q. What do they sing under the ocean during the winter?
A. Christmas Corals!

Q. How much did Santa pay for his sleigh?
A. Nothing, it was on the house!

Q. What is invisible and smells like milk and cookies?
A. Santa's burps!

Q. What do snowmen do on Christmas?
A. Play with the snow angels.

Q. Who says "Oh, Oh, Oh!"?
A. Santa walking backwards!

Q. What nationality is Santa Claus?
A. North Polish.

Q. How did the sheep say Merry Christmas?
A. "Fleece Avoided."

Q. What do you call a Santa that sleeps all the time?
A. Santa snores!

Q. Why was Santa's helper depressed?
A. He had low ELF-esteem.

Q. What's a good holiday tip?
A. Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the
birds have gone south for the winter.

Q. What Christmas carol is a favorite of parents?
A. Silent Night.

Q. What do you call a snowman in the summer?
A. A puddle!

Q. What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A. Frosted Flakes.

Q. Why does Santa have three gardens ?
A. So he can go HOE HOE HOE.

Q. Why did Sponge Bob have a great Christmas?
A. Because he kissed a Krabby Patty.

Q. What does Santa clean his sleigh with?
A. Comet.

Q. What do you get when you deep fry Santa Claus?
A. Crisp Kringle.

Q. What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?
A. Frostbite.

Received from Shawnda Walker-Price.

(_:][:_)

Top Things Overheard on the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem

- "OK, we got gold. We got the frankincense. We got the myrrh. Think we should get something more practical, like diapers, maybe?"

- "I thought this was SUPPOSED to be a WEEKEND road trip.
Boy, is my wife ever gonna be ticked when I get home."

- "All this gazing at a star while riding a camel is making me woozy."

- "I still say it wouldn't hurt to drop by Balthazar's place for another visit on the way back. That was SOME buffet!"

- "16 hours a day on a camel. Are you sure this beats walking?"

- "Why should I always have to be in the rear? It's somebody else's turn to get sand in his face."

- "You guys have any idea how to treat saddle sores?"

- "Man, I'm starting to get a rush from this frankincense!"

- "You guys ever eat camel meat? I hear it tastes like chicken."

- "You know, I used to go to school with a girl name Beth Lehem."

- "What kind of name is Balthazar anyhow? Phoenician?"

- "Hey, do you either of you know why 'MYRRH' is spelled with a 'Y' instead of a 'U'?"

- "Okay, who forgot to give his camel a bath before we left?"

- "Whaddya mean we'll be part of history? A year from now, nobody will have a clue why we did this."

And the top thing overheard on the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem:

- "I can't wait to see and bow down before the Messiah who has long been foretold!"

Received from Laugh & Lift.

(_:][:_)

--
Rate this funny at
http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20120420

Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List
A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a)
Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA

To print or email this funny to others, go to
http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20120420

The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at
http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Column - -

Happy New Year Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane

A fellow was making a list
Of items he’d try to resist
In the upcoming year.
But he lost it, I fear:
Both the list and his will to desist.

© Madeleine Begun Kane. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.madkane.com/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." __ Franklin D. Roosevelt
"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
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
“A political class of Republicans and Democrats that look after themselves, not the Nation. A media hostile to the very precepts of this nation. A generation of Americans who see morals as vices, and are ignorant of America's Actual History.”
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - - Theodore Roosevelt
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Interested in getting in touch with the Banner_News through e_mail? editor@bannernews.net For the editor, news@bannernews.net For news and sports items, Coming Events, Diary, Church News, school and civic events. [http://www.bannernews.net/]
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." __ "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" __ "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." __ "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." _ _ "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." _ _ Paul Troquille
“Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.” Knowledge is power. _ Francis Bacon
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day _ James F. McClellan via John "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" __"Bug"
God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
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@suddenlink.net
. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. The latest issue is usually updated sometime Saturday. For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. We also have a site [http://bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com/] where we post photos that I like.
We appreciate your encouragement. We also appreciate your communication when you desire to be taken off our mail list. If you are on this mail list by mistake or do not wish to receive "Da Bleat," please reply back and tell us to discontinue service to you. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2012 before it was sent.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>


James F. McClellan
Editor/Publisher "Bug's Bleat"
NREMT_I, CSP, KC5HII
418 North Jefferson Street
Magnolia, Arkansas 71753
(Phone) 870_234_7028
KC5HII@Suddenlink.net

=================
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day _ James F. McClellan via "Fuzzy" Thurman
================================================

Remember McClellan's Rules

1. Rejoice in that this is the will of the Lord concerning you.
If that doesn't seem to be working, remember;
2. All things work together for the good of them who love the Lord.
If that doesn't seem to be working, remember;
3. All things are subject to change.
And finally;
4. Don't let the son of a guns get you down!
____________________________________________________