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SurviveNThrive - http://thinksurvival.org/index.html
What The World Thinks . . .
(These tidbits come from letters I receive and are exclusively
the opinion of the writers. Yet they serve to show you the depth of
attitude and opinion out there.)
Here is an excerpt from a letter I received . . .
" . . . Whether it's $50 to fill up your Prius or $130 for the Ford
Expedition, $4-a-gallon gasoline is coming to a pump near
you.
Fuel prices across the country are rising at a pace not seen
since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita knocked out a third of the
U.S. oil- refining industry in 2005. The reason: Gasoline
consumption is climbing twice as fast as last year and will
accelerate when summer travel begins around Memorial Day,
while supply has been restricted.
"What we're surprised by is the increased demand," said
James Mulva, chief executive officer at ConocoPhillips,
whose refineries produce 56 million gallons of gas a day,
enough to meet 14 percent of the country's needs. "Even
though the price of gasoline is up, the demand is up," he
said in an interview earlier this month.
Gasoline use nationwide now is rising almost 5 percent above
the five- year average.
That's a result of population increases and U.S. economic
growth, according to AAA, the nation's largest organization
for motorists. The U.S. economy will expand at a 2.4 percent
annual pace in the second quarter, up from 1.8 percent in
the first three months, according to the median estimate of
74 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
Americans are resigned to higher prices, said David Pursell,
a principal with Pickering Energy Partners, a consulting
firm in Houston.
"Last year, we had pump prices well over $3 for the summer
and gasoline demand was up," Pursell said in an interview.
"Would $4 gasoline cause demand contraction? I think it
will, but I also thought $3 gasoline would."
At the same time, gasoline inventories, measured by the days
of demand they will cover, are at the lowest level in two
decades for this time of year because of refinery fires,
power failures and maintenance work oil companies failed to
complete in 2006. No new U.S. refinery has been built in
three decades, increasing the strain on existing plants. . . . ."
Learn that "GLOBAL WARMING" is the least of man's problems . . .
SurviveNThrive - http://thinksurvival.org/index.html
DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND
The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
Money, Marriage And The Way
is now published and available.
Buy direct from:
http://www.publishamerica.com
(enter the name Saga of Pinehill in
the search box)
If you enjoyed the first book, you
won't be able to put
this one down until you've finished
it. Enjoy.
DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND
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TODAY'S TRIVIA - - -
-----------------------
Does Switzerland have a military?
Is it true that there's "a rifle in every Swiss home"?
--------------
ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA - - - -
--------------
Why does the US interstate highway system require that one
mile out of every five miles be straight?
So that the straight sections can used as airstrips in times
of emergency (especially in war).
What does it mean that Switzerland is a "neutral" nation?
Switzerland's constitution makes it unlawful for the country
to make war, except in self-defense. Switzerland is also
forbidden to enter into political alliances with other
countries. (The country only recently joined the United
Nations and it's not clear yet how that move will change
Switzerland's stance on neutrality.) Switzerland's stance on
neutrality has a long history, dating back to the fifteenth
century when Niklaus von Flue (or "Bruder Klaus"), often
called the "Father of Swiss neutrality," worried that the
aftermath of the Burgundy wars would split the country
apart. He understood that the Swiss confederation of cantons
of his time had no central leadership and was not equipped
for conflict with outside nations.
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I'LL SEE IT WHEN I BELIEVE IT!
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There are a lot of ways to become a failure,
but never taking a chance is the most successful.
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thePEBBLE CONTENTS:
1. STRANGE BITS AND PIECES!
------------------
2. COVER STORY . . .
------------------------------------
Around The Net
-------------------
3. MEDICAL COLUMN with Karin Henderson
What If...Reflecting On Chemicals Going Into Your Body
PART 4 of 5
-------------------
4. PERCEPTIONS by Ken Darby
The Democrat's Bill Scares Me . . .
-------------------
5. WHY DO WE SAY IT?
-------------------
6. THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY!
7. HA! HA!HA!
8. CONTACT INFO
9. THE LAST LINE - - - - -
DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND
The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
Money, Marriage And The Way
is now published and available. Buy direct from:
http://www.publishamerica.com
(enter the name Saga of Pinehill in the search box)
If you enjoyed the first book, you won't be able to put
this one down until you're finished it. Enjoy.
DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND
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STRANGE BITS AND PIECES!
When a porcupine is born, its quills are soft and mostly
white, but harden within hours.
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COVER STORY . . .
------------------------------------
Around The Net
WASHINGTON, April 25 — The House on Wednesday narrowly
approved a $124 billion war spending bill that would require
American troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by Oct. 1,
setting the stage for the first veto fight between President
Bush and majority Democrats.
Only hours after Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander in
Iraq, told lawmakers he needed more time to gauge the
effectiveness of a troop buildup there, the House voted 218
to 208 to pass a measure that sought the removal of most
combat forces by next spring. Mr. Bush has said
unequivocally and repeatedly that he will veto it.
“Last fall, the American people voted for a new direction in
Iraq,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California.
“They made it clear that our troops must be given all they
need to do their jobs, but that our troops must be brought
home responsibly, safely, and soon.”
Republicans accused Democrats of establishing a “date
certain” for America’s defeat in Iraq and capitulating to
terrorism.
“This bill is nothing short of a cut and run in the fight
against Al Qaeda,” said Representative Harold Rogers,
Republican of Kentucky.
On the final vote, 216 Democrats and 2 Republicans supported
the bill; 195 Republicans and 13 Democrats opposed it.
The Senate is expected on Thursday to approve identical
legislation, which provides more than $95 billion for combat
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30, with
the money conditioned on the administration’s willingness to
accept a timetable for withdrawal and new benchmarks to
assess the progress of the Iraqi government.
Democratic leaders plan to send the bill to the White House
early next week — coinciding with the fourth anniversary of
Mr. Bush’s May 1, 2003, speech aboard an aircraft carrier
when he declared the end of major combat operations before a
banner that said “Mission Accomplished.”
At the White House, Dana Perino, the deputy press secretary,
released a statement minutes after the vote, calling the
bill “disappointing legislation that insists on a surrender
date, handcuffs our generals, and contains billions of
dollars in spending unrelated to the war.”
With the outcome essentially preordained, advocacy groups on
both sides of the issue were readying campaigns to try to
shape public opinion as the showdown unfolds.
Groups aligned with the Democrats plan to capitalize on the
connection between the veto and the “mission accomplished”
anniversary. Americans United for Change has produced a
television commercial that replays scenes of Mr. Bush on the
carrier and says: “He was wrong then. And he’s wrong now.
It’s the will of one nation versus the stubbornness of one
man.”
Allies of the president are mobilizing as well. The
conservative Web site Townhall.com was organizing an online
“no surrender” petition, and urging visitors to the site to
tell the Democratic Party’s “rogues’ gallery that we will
not stand for their defeatism,” adding, “While they may lack
courage, our troops do not and they deserve the resources
needed to win this war.”
With the vote barely behind them, House Democrats were
already considering how to respond legislatively to Mr.
Bush’s veto. Though there are differing ideas,
Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Democrat
who oversees defense appropriations, said his preference
would be to “robustly fund the troops for two months,” and
include benchmarks but no timetable for withdrawal.
The briefing by General Petraeus and other senior Pentagon
officials appeared to do little to influence the House vote.
Lawmakers said the commander had made no overt plea for them
to oppose the legislation, which provides more money for the
Pentagon than the president had sought for the war as well
as billions of dollars for other unrelated projects.
“I’m not going to get into the minefield of discussions
about various legislative proposals,” General Petraeus told
reporters at the end of the two briefings. “I don’t think
that is something military commanders should get into.”
The general pointed to a drop in sectarian killings and
security gains in Anbar Province as improvements in recent
weeks but referred to reversals as well. “The ability of Al
Qaeda to conduct horrific, sensational attacks obviously has
represented a setback and is an area in which we are
focusing considerable attention,” he said.
Lawmakers, speaking on condition of anonymity because the
briefings in the House and Senate were classified, said that
while the general had pointed to successful weapons seizures
and a substantial drop in killings as evidence of progress,
he and the others could not quantify how they would evaluate
future success.
Lawmakers who attended a session said General Petraeus had
said he would need until September to judge whether the
troop increase was meeting its goals in quelling the
sectarian and terrorism-related violence in Iraq.
In addition to General Petraeus, lawmakers in the House and
Senate heard from Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon
England, Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte and
Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., vice chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
SurviveNThrive - http://thinksurvival.org/index.html
Sign up at that site and get your FREE copy of the book
"AND BILLIONS WILL DIE"
Do it today.
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In the quiet of your mind strength is born.
---- Ken Darby
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MEDICAL COLUMN - - - - with Karin Henderson
What If...Reflecting On Chemicals Going Into Your Body
PART 4 of 5
So my question to you is this. Did you do any of your own
research before you filled your drug prescription? Did you seek
out any different techniques that would teach how you can avoid
having all these chemicals residing in your body? Were you
offered any other resources?
What if...you learned how to clean your sinuses instead of
clogging of drying them up? (Learn what nasal sprays and
decongestants do. Is that what you really want?) What if...you
learned how to deal with your high blood pressure "naturally"?
"Normal" blood pressure readings are a real challenge now to
achieve. The "normal values" vary depending on who you work
with. What if...you knew that "sugar reduced" or "fat reduced"
or "caffeine free" could well mean a host of added chemicals to
the product? Would you make different choices? (Artificial
sweeteners are just that: artificial.)
One thing you can do right now is to learn and recognize that
chemicals come in many different forms and different disguises.
Your body has its own set, and anything you want to add must be
in "sync" with its needs. Chemicals can easily enter your body
via the mouth, nose, ears, skin, and eyes, even your hair shaft.
But they are still entering your body, hopefully with your full
knowledge, understanding, and consent.
The next time you aren't feeling well or have some sort of
"upset" or negative health feeling or symptoms, I suggest you
stop and spend some concerted effort on research. Try to
determine what changed just before you experienced that unwanted
feeling. I suggest you discuss your drugs with your pharmacist
and (or) your doctor. To get an interesting and different
perspective, consult a certified naturopath or chiropractor.
-------------------------------------------
Karin Henderson is a registered nurse and is thePEBBLE's
columnist for our MEDICAL COLUMN.
We appreciate her input very much. Thanks Karin.
You can send Karin questions at
mailto:kflh@shaw.ca
Health Information Newsletter.
http://www.prescotts-inc.com
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PERCEPTIONS . . . by Ken Darby
-----------------------DISCLAIMER
Some around me think I am an opinionated old goat.
Whether that be true or not I will sometimes, in this column,
talk about things people don't like to talk about - or don't want
out in the open. Take it all with a grain of salt.
Do your own thinking, and don't accept the things I say as
gospel. They are only mental meanderings from a simple soul.
-----------------------END DISCLAIMER
The Democrat's Bill Scares Me . . .
I read a report today where the Democrats in Congress passed
a bill requiring the pull out of American troops from Iraq
beginning Oct 1/07.
I really don’t know if I am a perverted thinker or what, but
I see that bill as a threat. Let me explain.
The U.S. is not in Iraq for regime change. They, long ago
became aware that oil is running out and within the next 30
years we may have no oil, at all. That is why the U.S. is in
Iraq, period. There only concern they have is oil and I can
tell you they will not pull out of Iraq for any reason until
or unless there is some way for them to be assured that
Iraqi oil is theirs.
For that same reason you can expect a reason to invade Iran,
though I know not when. I only know it will be soon.
So, you see what this new bill is? It means the executive
branch will have to accelerate their “causes for war”
thinking and come up with other reasons why the U.S. must
keep troops in Iraq.
I know President Bush can veto the bill, and likely will,
but simultaneous with that he will try to get public opinion
on his side by coming up with all sorts of stories and press
releases that convince the public they have to remain in
Iraq. Along with that he will be preparing and getting
closer to doing the same for Iran.
Some of you out there think this kind of thinking is crazy.
We have more than enough oil and that is not the reason for
the war in Iraq. I say to you, with respect, that if that is
your thinking then you clearly have no idea of the impact an
oil shortage will have on the U.S. Neither do you know how
severly close we are to such a shortage.
In case you ever wondered why the “hell bent for election”
race for ethanol production is all about this is it. It is
the immenent, known shortage of oil that is looming in our
future. The race is to do something, anything to maintain
our lifestyle. Without oil we cannot do that and all of
North America is racing to find something to replace oil.
Then we can go on living as we have in the past.
I won’t go into whether or not we will be successful. I will
save that for another article. In the meantime I see the
recent bill to pull out troops from Iraq as a very real
threat brought on by ignorance of the highest order.
SurviveNThrive - http://thinksurvival.org/index.html
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WHY DO WE SAY IT?
Quarter: Why do we say we give "no quarter" when we mean we
show "no mercy"?
Because originally to "give quarter" meant to send conquered
enemy soldiers to a special section or "quarter" where they
remained until their fate was determined. They could be set
free, ransomed, or enslaved. If they were killed instead
they were given "no quarter".
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DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND
The Saga Of Pinehill Book II
Money, Marriage And The Way
is now published and available. Buy direct from:
http://www.publishamerica.com
(enter the name Saga of Pinehill in the search box)
If you enjoyed the first book, you won't be able to put
this one down until you've finished it. Enjoy.
DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MIND
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THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY!
"There are two ways of exerting one's strength; one is
pushing down, the other is pulling up." -- Booker T.
Washington
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HA! HA! HA!
A priest at a parochial school, wanting to point out the
proper behavior for church, was trying to elicit from the
youngsters rules that their parents might give before taking
them to a nice restaurant.
"Don't play with your food," one second-grader cited.
"Don't be loud," said another, and so on.
"And what rule do your parents give you before you go out to
eat?" the priest inquired of one little boy.
Without batting an eye, the child replied, "Order something
cheap."
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Complete Contact info on web site
http://www.the-pebble.com
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SurviveNThrive - http://thinksurvival.org/index.html
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THE LAST LINE - - - - -
"If you train your mind to search for the positive
things about other people, you will be surprised at how
many good things you can observe in them and comment
upon." -- Alan Loy Mcginnis
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REMEMBER! - IF YOU SEE IT IN thePEBBLE - IT IS SO!
Someone once said, "If you say you can, you're right. If you
say you can't, you're right." What a testimony for the power
of belief. When you believe, anything can be yours.
---- Ken Darby
