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A Little Thanksgiving Advice

When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try.

10-15 lb. turkey. For turkeys over 15 lbs double following amounts

1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Peppridge Farm is good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT)
Salt/pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush turkey well with melted butter,salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the turkey's ass blows the oven door open and the turkey flies across the room, it is done.

And, I bet you thought I couldn't cook..........HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The above is from email. A bit late, but perhaps will bring a smile to your face.

Effective Immediately

Please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING: Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST: Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize

3. TRUST ME: Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask,

4. LEAVE IT ALONE: Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.>>

5. TALK TO ME: I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH: I see a lot of things from up here that can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me, you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE: You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget?That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none

8. BE PATIENT: I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush

9. BE KIND: Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF: As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget.

Court Order for Banfield To Stop All Sales of Microchips

Court Halts Nationwide Sale of Banfield Pet ID Chips

Fish &Richardson Announces Court Halts Nationwide Sale of Banfield Pet ID Chips

SAN DIEGO --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 4, 2004 -- Judge Cites Potential for "Serious, Irreparable Harm," Also Orders Banfield to Notify Customers and Vets of Product Limitations Citing "the potential for pets to be euthanized" as a result of deceptive advertising by Medical Management International, Inc. dba Banfield, the Pet Hospital, the San Diego Superior Court yesterday issued a preliminary injunction blocking Banfield from selling or advertising its pet ID microchips, sold under the name RecoveryChip. Banfield Pet Hospitals are located in PETsMART stores throughout the United States.

If Banfield wants to resume selling or promoting its RecoveryChip, the court must first approve that Banfield's proposed advertisements and other promotional materials disclose that the chip "cannot be read by the vast majority of (microchip) scanners in U.S. shelters."

Judge William C. Pate noted that Banfield's actions had created a "risk of great, irreparable harm... specifically the increased potential for pets to be euthanized while their owners believe them to be safe."

The order is a result of a consumer protection lawsuit filed in May 2004, after Banfield's distribution of its chips triggered a strong response by the pet shelter community calling on Banfield to halt its practice. Pet microchipping systems use a scanner (or reader) to read a small microchip transponder that is injected under the skin of a pet.

The vast majority of U.S. animal shelters and vet clinics utilize a scanner system based on 125 kHz.

Banfield introduced an incompatible 134.2 kHz microchip, used mainly in foreign countries, which cannot be read by scanners used by most American veterinarians and shelters.

The court also ordered Banfield "to notify all purchasers of its RecoveryChip, or any other 134.2kHz electronic identification tags it has sold, as well as all veterinarians to whom it has recommended these products" of the chip's limitations. Finding that consumers were "likely to be deceived" by Banfield's past advertising and promotion efforts, the court recognized that the circumstances presented were "extraordinary and the potential for serious, irreparable harm warrants the issuance of a mandatory preliminary injunction to inform potentially affected pet owners."

The injunction requires Banfield's notification to be approved by the court, and to state that only certain, specifically listed shelters are equipped with scanners that can read Banfield's chip. The notification also must disclose that the mere fact that shelters have such scanners "does not guarantee that the shelters will actually use those scanners on lost pets."

Finally, the notification must further disclose "that the majority of shelters presently use a scanner that will not detect or read (Banfield's) implanted chip."

"Veterinary medical communities throughout the U.S. believe that Banfield's reckless introduction of a foreign microchip put U.S. pet microchipping and recovery systems in jeopardy," said Hannis L. Stoddard III, D.V.M. and president of AVID, one of the parties that brought the lawsuit. "Judge Pate's order may very well save pets' lives."

AVID manufactures FriendChips, a microchip pet ID tag that has been used successfully throughout the country to reunite pets with their families for years.

"Today's decision forces Banfield to take responsibility for its actions and come clean with pet owners and veterinarians," states Daniel Pascucci of Fish & Richardson, counsel for AVID and veterinarian Robert Stonebreaker, D.V.M., who filed the consumer protection lawsuit against Banfield.

"It is an important step in stopping and remedying an advertising campaign that the court recognized was likely to deceive consumers and create a risk of unnecessarily euthanized pets."

A copy of the news release detailing the original lawsuit filed in May 2004 is available at:

http://www.fr.com/news/articledetail.cfm?articleid=316

For more information about AVID, visit

http://www.avidid.com

For more information about Fish &Richardson, visit

http://www.fr.com

Leslie Ray
For Pets Sake
Northwest Arkansas

The above is from email and presented for your information only. I was not able to find the relevant article at the F&R website. Perhaps you will have better luck.

The Phone Call

The phone rang as I was setting down to my anticipated evening meal, and as I answered it I was greeted with "Is this Karl Brummer". Not sounding anything like my name, I asked who is calling? The telemarketer said he was with The Rubber band Powered Freezer company or something like that. Then I asked him if he knew Karl personally and why was he calling this number. I then said off to the side, "get really good pictures of the body and all the blood", then turned back to the phone and advised the caller that he had entered a murder scene and must stay on the line because we had already traced this call and he would be receiving a summons to appear in the local courthouse to testify in this murder case.

I then questioned the caller at great length as to his name, address, phone number at home, at work, who he worked for, how he knew the dead guy, and could he prove where he had been about one hour before he made this call.

The telemarketer was getting very concerned and his answers were given in a shaky voice. I then told him we had located his position and the police were entering the building to take him into custody, at that point I heard the phone fall and the scurrying of his running away. My wife asked me as I returned to our table why I had tears streaming down my face and so help me, I couldn't tell her for about fifteen minutes. My meal was cold, but after what I had pulled, it was the best meal in a long, long time

From email, of course

The Christmas Season

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I know nearly everyone feels that way. I truly feel that Christmas is the best time of year. There are times we are a bit more frazzled than other times, but For the most part, everyone is nicer to other people than at other times of the year.

So, in the spirit of the season, I will declare My Little Corner of the World to be a politics-free zone from now until the end of the year. Unless of course, something happens that I feel needs to be commented on, then I will grace you with my opinion.

The Pickle Jar

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled.

I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck

Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. "Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly. "These are for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me."

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. "When we get home, we'll start filling the jar again."

He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. "You'll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters," he said. "But you'll get there. I'll see to that."

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town.

Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed.

A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith.

The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them morepalatable, he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me. "When you finish college, Son," he told me, his eyes glistening, "You'll never have to eat beans again - unless you want to."

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms.

"She probably needs to be changed," she said, carrying the baby into my parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. "Look," she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak.

This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life, for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.

The Turkey That Shot Out Of The Oven

The turkey shot out of the oven
And rocketed into the air:
It knocked every plate off the table.
And partly demolished a chair.

It ricocheted into a corner.
And burst with a deafening boom:
Then splattered all over the kitchen.
Completely obscuring the room.

It stuck to the walls and the windows.
It totally coated the floor:
There was turkey attached to the ceiling
Where there's never been turkey before.

It blanketed every appliance.
It smeared every saucer and bowl:
There wasn't a way I could stop it.
That turkey was out of control.

I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure.
And thought with chagrin as I mopped.
That I'd never again stuff a turkey.
With popcorn that hadn't been popped!

A Lick And A Promise

By Pamela Perry Blaine

"I'll just give this a lick and a promise", my mother said as she quickly mopped up a spill on the floor without moving any of the furniture.

"What is that supposed to mean", I asked as in my young mind I envisioned someone licking the floor with his or her tongue.

"It means that I'm in a hurry and I'm busy canning tomatoes so I am going to just give it a lick with the mop and promise to come back and do the job right later."

"A lick and a promise" was just one of the many old phrases that I remember my mother, grandmother, and others using that they probably heard from the generations before them.

With the passing of time, many old phrases become obsolete or even disappear. This is unfortunate because some of them are very appropriate and humorous.

Here is a list that I came up with that I remember my parents and grandparents using that we don't hear much anymore. Perhaps you have some memorable old phrases of your own that you could add to the list:

A Bone to Pick (someone who wants to discuss a disagreement)

An Axe to Grind (Someone who has a hidden motive. This phrase is said to have originated from Benjamin Franklin who told a story about a devious man who asked how a grinding wheel worked. He ended up walking away with his axe sharpened free of charge)

A bad apple spoils the whole barrel (one corrupt person can cause all the others to go bad if you don't remove the bad one)

At sea (lost or not understanding something)

Bad Egg (Someone who was not a good person)

Barking at a knot (meaning that your efforts were as useless as a dog barking at a knot.)

Bee in your bonnet (To have an idea that won't let loose)

Been through the mill (had a rough time of it)

Between hay and grass (Not a child or an adult)

Blinky (Between sweet and sour as in milk)

Calaboose (a jail)

Cattywampus (Something that sits crooked such as a piece of furniture sitting at an angle)

Dicker (To barter or trade)

Feather In Your Cap (to accomplish a goal.this came from years ago in wartime when warriors might receive a feather they would put in their cap for defeating an enemy)

Hold your horses (Be patient!)

I reckon (I suppose)

Jawing (Talking or arguing)

Kit and caboodle (The whole thing)

Madder than an old wet hen (really angry)

Needs taken down a notch or two (like notches in a belt.usually a young person who thinks too highly of himself and needs a lesson)

No Spring Chicken (Not young anymore)

Persnickety (overly particular or snobbish)

Pert-near (short for pretty near)

Pretty is as pretty does (your actions are more important than your looks)

Scalawag (a rascal or unprincipled person)

Scarce as hen's teeth (something difficult to obtain)

Skedaddle (Get out of here quickly)

Sparking (courting)

Straight From the Horse's Mouth (privileged information from the one concerned)

Stringing around, gallivanting around, or piddling (Not doing anything of value)

Sunday go to meetin' dress (The best dress you had)

Tie the Knot (to get married)

Too many irons in the fire (to be involved in too many things)

Tuckered out (tired and all worn out)

Under the weather (not feeling well. This term came from going below deck on ships due to sea sickness thus you go below or under the weather)

Wearing your "best bib and tucker" (Being all dressed up)

You aren't the only duck in the pond (It's not all about you)

Well, if you hold your horses, I reckon I'll get this whole kit and caboodle done and sent off to you. Please don't be too persnickety and get a bee in your bonnet because I've been pretty tuckered out and at sea lately because I'm no spring chicken. I haven't been just stringin' around and I know I'm not the only duck in the pond, but I do have too many irons in the fire. I might just be barking at a knot, but I have tried to give this article more than just a lick and a promise.

Happy Turkey Day!

What's the key to a great Thanksgiving dinner?
The turKEY

Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
The outside of course!

Why did they let the turkey join the band?
Because he had his own drumsticks

Why did the police arrest the turkey?
They suspected it of fowl play.

What did the turkey say before it was roasted?
Boy! I'm stuffed!

A turkey farmer was always experimenting with breeding to perfect a better turkey. His family was fond of the leg portion for dinner and there were never enough legs for everyone. After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the general store get together.

"Well I finally did it! I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!"

They all asked the farmer how it tasted.

"I don't know" said the farmer. "I never could catch the darn thing!"

Actors are cast through their good and bad stages

This Is The Kind of Boss Everyone Wants

I was reading Woman's World today and saw an article about Jack Fessler, a Clearwater, Florida insurance agency owner. I had to tell you what he does for his employees.

His assistants weren't surprised when he said, "Don't eat before coming to work tomorrow" to see pastries and orange juice waiting for them. But what he did next stunned them! Next came little purses stuffed with a wad of money equal to a week's pay for each of his female employees! There was only one catch: they had to spend it in two hours and it had to be spent entirely on themselves. He hired a limo and dropped the women off a local mall. Then, when they got back to work, lunch was waiting for them.

The men in the office weren't forgotten. Jack took them shopping for fishing gear for a trip he was treating them to on his boat.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not the money he was spending so much as showing his appreciation for their hard work. Bosses must remember that when they have good employees, those employees need to be recognized for their efforts.

Not long ago, our agency went through two week long audits. We flew through both with flying colors, and in the second audit, attained Deemed Status. I know you don't know what that means, but trust me it's big in our line of work. Next year, we will have only a one day audit, the year after a three day audit and finally the third year another five day audit. I think those are the right numbers. Anyway, our lieutenant made sure that each person got a memo that was put into our personnel files that thanked us for the work we put into the programs. The captain also expressed his appreciation, although not in writing, but verbally, at meetings.

A lousy job is a lousy job no matter how much you're paid. Sure, money can make it "easier" to bear the job, but no matter how much you make, it's still lousy. When you are appreciated, and it's shown, it means the world to you.

It's bosses like Jack Fessler who know how to show appreciation. He may have started the business, and that's nothing to sneer at, but his employees are the ones who made his business successful. He shows his appreciation to his employees and they show their appreciation by their hard work and loyalty. I'd be willing to bet that while his employees will talk about what Jack buys them, or gives them, or does for them, they wouldn't leave their jobs for the world. It's not the stuff they get from him, it's that they know he appreciates their hard work and loyalty.

This is the kind of person I would do business with in a heartbeat.

I nominate Jack Fessler as Boss of the Year!

When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

What is.....

An interrobang?

Answer next week

The Ticket

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.

Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.

"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."

"Hello, Jack." No smile.

"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."

"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.

"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit - just this once."

Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ." Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.

"What'd you clock me at?"

"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"

"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.

"Please, Jack, in the car"

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window.

The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.

Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost?

Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:

"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it - a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again.

A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."

"Bob"

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully. Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.

Funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the sanctity of life, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Pass this on, you may save a life. Maybe not, but we'll never know if we don't try.

May today there be peace within you. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. "I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

Around the Corner

Around the corner I have a friend,

In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,

And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face,

For life is a swift and terrible race,

He knows I like him just as well,

As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,

And now we are busy, tired men.

Tired of playing a foolish game,

Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim

Just to show that I'm thinking of him."

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,

"Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."

And that's what we get and deserve in the end.

Around the corner, a vanished friend.

Remember to always say what you mean. If you love someone, tell them. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you. Because when you decide that it is the right time it might be too late. Seize the day. Never have regrets. And most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the person that you are today.

The email says to forward to so many people within a certain time or horrible consequences will happen. Well, I don't believe in that, but I do believe in reminding people to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. There's no bigger regret that I can think of than to know you have no more time to tell someone what they mean to you.

This Pastor Has Guts!!

From email. According to Snopes.com this really happened.

Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard: "Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good, but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.

In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly be come our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God."

If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends. "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything."

Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world. How many people in your address book will not receive this prayer.....do you have the guts to pass it on?

She was just a whiskey maker but he loved her still.

Friday Night Movie

My Other Half and I decided to have a movie night once a week. We picked Friday since TV is so lousy. We joined Netflix (to avoid the pickup and dropping off with late fees problem). We get one video at a time for $10 and change a month. We're averaging four a month, so that comes to about $2.25 a video. Not too bad. Of course, we could save even more by watching movies we already have and haven't watched, but that would be too easy or something!

So anyway, we watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy last night. That might be way I wasn't well. No, of course, that wasn't it. It might be a good movie, but won't be on my top ten list. We got behind in movies over the last few years, so we're catching up.

We watched National Treasure last week - very good by the way. My only complaint was that the DVD was pretty scratched and we missed a portion of the video because of it. My Other Half doesn't like Nicholas Cage but has decided that he's not so bad after all. The Pacifier is next, and Pirates of the Caribbean next after that.

I can change the queue so that we can see another movie in the list. I've also got several saved that haven't come out in DVD yet, so that when they do, we'll be among the first to get it.

Not Feeling Well - Or I'm Not Really Sick, I'm Just Not Well

One of my work cohorts was sick earlier last week. She ended up taking Thursday and Friday off so she could sleep and maybe get over whatever it was she had. It appeared to be a sinus infection of some sort. Of course, several wags were asking if it was bird flu.

So, Friday afternoon I started feeling not so good. Not! I don't get sick! Usually. Sinus, maybe, but not anything contagious. I haven't been sick of any kind since las Christmas, and that was either sinus or a cold. (Sometimes they are hard to tell apart.) I started taking my OTC of choice, Tylenol Sinus Friday afternoon and felt pretty much okay Friday evening.

When I got up Saturday, it had me. Whatever "it" was. I continued with the Tylenol Sinus and managed to dry up the sinus, so I wasn't blowing and sneezing so much. But I was tired. So tired, I slept off and on all day Saturday. I'd wake up for a time, and then fall back to sleep. I knew I was, maybe not "sick" but, "not well" when I realized I wasn't up to sitting in front of the computer.

This morning, when I got up, I felt better. I managed to get a shower and wash my hair. It's amazing how much better you feel when you are clean! I seem to be running a variable temperature, slight, but still enough to make me feel it.

I hope to be over this before Thanksgiving as we are going to the in-laws in Melbourne Wednesday evening. I don't want to spread whatever "it" is around, and frankly, I don't want to be miserable. I can be that at home without traveling to the other side of the state and spreading it around.

Wish me luck!

Stocking Stuffers

You might want to check out the side bar for stocking stuffer ideas. For example, I just added a link to an audio version of The FairTax Book by Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder. There is a search box for Amazon if you have other ideas.

Thank your for your patience

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