Stop

I'm just started.

Figures, don't get too greedy though. I might think you are shooting for me next!

..... and the first one is getting enough posts that Allinall doesn't go ahead of me again.  

But your only 12...? behind ollie. He is ninth.

Only 8 behind ollie now and 45 behind 2T.

Just passed ollie. I am now 25 ahead of Allinall and 2 ahead of ollie.

By Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
October 13, 2005

(AgapePress) - The president of a Christian activist organization is among a growing number of citizens who are saying it is about time for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to stop trying to put criminals' rights above the rights of American citizens.

Last week police in New York City conducted random searches of subway riders after authorities received word of an alleged terror plot. An October 9 Associated Press report said a Department of Homeland Security memo had warned that a team of terrorists may have traveled to New York to carry out an attack on or around Sunday.

The memo noted that FBI and Homeland Security officials harbored some doubts about the credibility of the threat. However, as U.S. military forces interrogated three terror suspects in Iraq, New York officials became increasingly confident about their decision to err on the side of caution and step up patrols and bag searches in the city's subways.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has commended Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other New York officials, saying he respects their judgment and considers their precautious "absolutely appropriate." But just this past summer, the city officials may well have felt chastised for taking such careful counter-terrorism measures when the ACLU sued the City of New York, arguing that it had violated the rights of subway passengers by doing random searches.

Don Swarthout, president of the Kentucky-based group Christians Reviving America's ValuEs (CRAVE), believes the ACLU is not looking out for the civil rights of average U.S. citizens when it does things like bringing this suit against New York, or attacking expressions of religious faith in the public square, or trying to squelch acknowledgement of America's Judeo-Christian religious heritage.

"It seems to me that we need to get back to some good, simple, straightforward thinking," Swarthout says. "These civil rights issues -- like whether or not you can hang the Ten Commandments in the court, or whatever -- have gotten to where the argument is so perverted that common sense is just completely thrown to the wind, and even the law has been thrown to the wind."

With this recent legal attack against New York officials' security efforts, Swarthout feels the ACLU's actions may actually be dangerous to the citizens of the city. "Now here is this threat that apparently is real enough that they're spending all kinds of money to try to prevent a bombing in an American city once again," he says, "and the ACLU wants to defend the rights of the terrorists."

Citizens Call on Congress to Reign In ACLU
Apparently, Swarthout says, members of the so-called civil liberties organization "really are not so concerned about the rights of the law-abiding citizens." He has drafted a letter to Congress asking U.S. lawmakers to investigate the ACLU's policies and true intentions, and to look into the group's "widespread use of frivolous lawsuits" following its legal action against New York City.

Meanwhile, a petition drive spearheaded by the Center for Reclaiming America is mobilizing more than 100,000 Americans to urge Congress to pass a bill to curb the ACLU by denying plaintiff attorneys the right to collect attorney fees in lawsuits that target religion in the public square. The petition in support of legislation by Representative John Hostettler (Rep.-Indiana) calls for "a stand against the ACLU's radical agenda, which undermines our nation's moral and religious heritage."

Congressman Hostettler's bill would amend the Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Act of 1976 to prohibit prevailing parties from being awarded attorney's fees in religious establishment cases, but not in other civil rights filings. The congressman introduced a bill with identical language in 2003 to deny attorney fees and permit only injunctive relief in cases filed under the Constitution's religious-establishment clause.

Although that bill failed in subcommittee, supporters are hopeful that the current legislation will pass this session because of the more conservative makeup of the current Congress, as well as escalating calls to curb activist judges, particularly on matters of religion.

Southwestern N.H. braces for possibility of more flooding

By Anne Saunders, Associated Press Writer  |  October 13, 2005

CONCORD, N.H. --The southwestern part of the New Hampshire should escape further flood damage as long as any new rainfall stays below 3 inches, Emergency Management Director Bruce Cheney told lawmakers Thursday.

With the National Weather Service late Thursday calling for 2 to 3 inches of rain, it could be a close call.

Cheney, Gov. John Lynch and leaders in the House and Senate gave lawmakers an overview of the damage and the status of the emergency relief.

"The progress has been truly remarkable but as you know, there's still much to do," Lynch said.

A key bridge in Hinsdale was repaired to allow emergency vehicles across and may open to regular traffic by Friday afternoon, Cheney said.

The state has distributed 46,000 sand bags to Cheshire and Sullivan counties and 550 well-testing kits. State health officials were going door-to-door to collect water samples that state environmental officials will test to see if the drinking water is safe.

Fifteen inspectors evaluated area dams and determined none are in danger of breaching, Cheney said.

Power was restored to all but about 16 homes on Thursday afternoon and all were expected to be back on line by nightfall. Most homes have phone service back as well, he said.

"We've had plans in place for years," Cheney said of disaster relief planning. In all, 11 state agencies, the American Red Cross and various federal officials are in the flood-stricken area making repairs, providing assistance to victims and assessing damage.

"It worked well," he told lawmakers of the state's planning efforts. "New Hampshire is well prepared."

Maine Gov. John Baldacci said Thursday he has offered Lynch any assistance possible and Maine transportation officials say they could provide temporary bridges and personnel to assemble them.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts state police dogs are assisting New Hampshire canines in the search for three people believed swept away in the weekend floods. Officials have given up any hope of finding them alive.

Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus said searchers were working their way through 16 miles of terrain from Alstead to the Connecticut River. They also are searching the Connecticut for Sally and Tim Canfield, who apparently were swept away along with their house, and Spencer Petty, who may have been washed downstream in his van.

He said teams are pulling apart debris piles left all along the flood route. The piles are made up of everything from trees to pieces of houses and cars.

Three people were confirmed dead in the flooding and a kayaker swept away in Antrim also has not been found.

Health officials are warning residents of the danger of illness and injury left behind by the weekend floods.

Cheshire County Sheriff Richard Foote said the flood waters and debris-filled areas are contaminated with human waste from destroyed septic systems, as well as gas, oil and other chemicals from destroyed homes and cars and fuel tanks.

He said people risk infection if they are cut by debris.

Cheney was confident that New Hampshire would soon get $5 million in federal aid. Additional federal money also is likely once communities can document their losses, put repairs out to bid and collect receipts that document the expenses involved in removing debris and repairing roads and public facilities, he said.

Homeowners who suffered major losses also should be eligible for some federal aid, but that could take time, he said.

In the interim, lawmakers are organizing a fundraising effort -- originally planned to help Katrina victims and now aimed at helping New Hampshire's own.

"This isn't an Alstead problem or an Acworth problem or a Walpole problem, this is a New Hampshire problem," Lynch said. "In typical New Hampshire fashion, this is all of us pulling together to help our families."

Four Children in Minnesota Contract Polio

 By MARTIGA LOHN
Associated Press Writer

October 13, 2005, 7:58 PM EDT

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Four children in an Amish community in Minnesota have contracted the polio virus -- the first known infections in the U.S. in five years, state health officials said Thursday.

Dr. Harry Hull, the state epidemiologist, said the cases do not pose a threat to the general public because most people have been vaccinated against polio and are unlikely to have contact with Amish people. But he said he expects to find more infections within the Amish community because some of its members refuse immunizations on religious grounds.

None of the children have shown any symptoms of the paralyzing disease. About one in 200 people who contract the polio virus suffer paralysis because of it; others typically rid themselves the virus after weeks or months.

None of the four children had been vaccinated. Three are siblings; the fourth is a baby from another family.

The infection came to light when the baby was hospitalized for various health problems and underwent tests. Authorities then began testing other members of the community for the virus.

Officials would not identify the Amish community but said it consisted of 100 to 200 people.

Hull said the infections were traced to an oral vaccine that was administered in another country, probably within the past three years.

The use of oral polio vaccine containing the live virus was stopped in the United States in 2000. The live-virus vaccine caused an average of eight cases of polio a year in the United States. The U.S. and Canada now use an injected vaccine made from the killed virus.

State and federal officials are investigating how an infection from a vaccine given in another country reached Minnesota. Stool or saliva from an infected person can transmit the virus.

Health officials said they are working with the Amish community to determine who may have been exposed to the virus, and to encourage immunizations.

"We have been going house to house, talking with them about the risk, offering the vaccine and attempting to collect specimens to see if the virus has been spreading," Hull said. "Some families have said, `No, thank you, we do not want to interact with you at all.' Other families have said, `Sure, we'll get vaccinated. We'll provide specimens.'"

Without the community's cooperation, Hull said, there is a chance of an outbreak similar to one that occurred in 1979 in Amish communities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and Pennsylvania. Ten people were left paralyzed by the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The last naturally occurring case of polio in the United States was in 1979, and health officials consider the disease eliminated in the Western Hemisphere. It persists in other parts of the world, with the vast majority of cases concentrated in India, Nigeria and Pakistan, according to the World Health Organization.

According to the CDC, more than 95 percent of U.S. children are vaccinated against polio by the time they enter school.

Typhoon Nando continues to threaten Philippines
www.chinaview.cn 2005-10-12 23:00:27

    MANILA, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The Philippine weather bureau PAGASA Wednesday said typhoon Nando (international name Kirogi) has intensified and continues to threaten the provinces of northern Luzon.

    By 14:00 local time, PAGASA said satellite and surface data tracked the weather disturbance at 1,020 km east northeast of northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 160 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 195 km per hour. It continues to move west northwest at 3 km per hour.

    The weather bureau forecast the typhoon to be 1,000 km east northeast of northern Luzon by Thursday morning and 970 km east northeast of northern Luzon by Friday morning.

    By Saturday morning, it is expected to be 980 km east northeastof northern Luzon or 680 km east southeast of Okinawa, Japan, PAGASA added.

    PAGASA said the islands of Luzon and Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Sister, still think you can catch me?

That would take a lot of doing.

Why do you say that, Pastor Roger?

Let's put it this way all things are possible an I'm either going to die or get raptured trying  

I think the rapture will come, before you catch me.    See, I can out talk almost everyone.  

Edited to add;
Pastor Roger has only gain 1 post, to catching me. Yesterday I was 3882 posts ahead, today he is only 3881 behind me.

......... and 3872 now.

Sister, still think you can catch me?

That would take a lot of doing.

Why do you say that, Pastor Roger?

Let's put it this way all things are possible an I'm either going to die or get raptured trying  

 

That might be to close to call as to which might come first.

Sister, still think you can catch me?

That would take a lot of doing.

Why do you say that, Pastor Roger?

Sister, still think you can catch me?

That would take a lot of doing.

Why do you say that, Pastor Roger?

Let's put it this way all things are possible an I'm either going to die or get raptured trying  

I think the rapture will come, before you catch me.    See, I can out talk almost everyone.  

Edited to add;
Pastor Roger has only gain 1 post, to catching me. Yesterday I was 3882 posts ahead, today he is only 3881 behind me.

3877 now.  

I go and leave y'all to your own devices for the better part of a day, and look what I get!!!!  I lose my number 10 spot.  I'm now number 11!  Do you have any idea how humiliating it is being number 11?  Well, Pastor Roger does...  

What's worse?  I've been told I can only have 3 posts per day!  I'm already at my 2nd!  How will I ever catch up? I ca...

Knowing you, you will figure a way!

........ and he did.

I told ya so......

Yep, and he was doing it as you were saying it.

I see I need to call Allinall, back.  

aiyieeeeee

Stop

I'm just started.

Figures, don't get too greedy though. I might think you are shooting for me next!

..... and the first one is getting enough posts that Allinall doesn't go ahead of me again.  

But your only 12...? behind ollie. He is ninth.

Only 8 behind ollie now and 45 behind 2T.

Stop

I'm just started.

Figures, don't get too greedy though. I might think you are shooting for me next!

To many goals ahead of you.

Theres only one in front of me. Thats Tom, and I really don't want to pass him.

I don't think there is anything to be worried about there.  

I know .... I think he's trying to take the fun out of it for me ....


Not workinggg .....

Keep going PR, it'll be fun to see what he thinks when he sees you passed him  

come on Pastor, I'm standing here at the finish line wavinng the flag for ya.
hurry hurry  

He doesn't run very well.

It is difficult to run with a cane.

How well I know........ But it's easy to trip some one up.

Without even trying.  

Yup, just stick it out, an inch and some one will find it.

My feet find it more than others do.  

Amen, nor on how to do it.

Sister, still think you can catch me?

That would take a lot of doing.