Thanks to Andi Elliott, president of the Humane Society of the Upper Valley, charitable pet lovers in the area can help sponsor pets belonging to senior citizens, as well as special needs pets.

Many seniors are on fixed incomes and especially in difficult financial times may struggle to feed and care for their pets. In many cases, they have rescued these pets.

And some pets currently in foster homes have special health needs or circumstances that prevent them from being adopted. This stresses the resources of their foster “parents”.

Both situations can be addressed with tax-deductible donations to For the Love of Pets, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Humane Society of the Upper Valley.

Donations can be directed to the vet or distributed using vouchers for pet food, depending upon the need. Both one-time donations and monthly contributions are greatly appreciated. Visit the website for contact information.

Please consider financial support of this worthy cause!

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By Richard Larsen

Those things we take most for granted are often the things for which we should be most grateful. Especially in this privileged country where the blessings enjoyed by all have come through the sacrifice of others, and the blessings enjoyed by many come because of the absence of limitations prevalent in other countries.

Our freedoms are often taken for granted, and consequently, we assume they will always be there. But as we observe the trends granting increasing power over our lives to governmental authority, we can only pray and hope that the day will not come when we look back longingly at the freedoms once enjoyed here.

Those who wear and have worn the nation’s military uniforms are often taken for granted. But it is imperative that we acknowledge that at this time of no conscription that they wear the uniform and shoulder the attendant responsibilities of their own volition. We are not just free because of the wars and conflicts they fight or have fought, but also by their very presence and vigilance they ward off other threats to our liberty and our very existence. We are direct beneficiaries of their service. We can only surmise how differently we may have emerged from the cold war had we not maintained such a powerful global military presence.

As the nation struggles through the current financial difficulties, we realize how generally good the economy has been for the past eight years. Something we have again taken for granted. The media have painted a different picture during that time of how bad the economy was. Every report from employment to GDP growth rate was scrutinized to the point where, regardless of the positive elements, it was somehow twisted to where miniscule pejoratives eclipsed the positives. It could be that there was an agenda behind such uniformly negative reporting, or perhaps it’s just that bad news sells better than good. But then again, maybe we’re just too gullible as a people and swallow the headlines rather than reading, digesting, and thinking through the details on our own.

Sometimes what we take most for granted are people whom we love and assume will always be there for us. Then when they are not, our hearts yearn for their return, whether they departed of their own volition or because of the frailty of mortality. Even eighteen years after my mother’s passing from breast cancer and five years after my father died there is still not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them, long for their insights, wisdom, and their nurturing encouragement.

These are but a few examples of what we sometimes take for granted, but perhaps the best thing for each of us to ponder what applies most. What blessings, privileges, and relationships do you most treasure and would be most bereft of if they were no longer in your life? Tell those who most profoundly touch your life how you feel, and then have the wisdom to bask in the warmth of those relationships as often and as much as possible. For those blessings, both tangible and abstract that are not relationship based, do as the early Pilgrims did. According to William Bradford, “he did fall down on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks commended them with the most fervent prayers unto the Lord and His blessing.” Ultimately, since all blessings are bestowed by God, we express our deepest gratitude to him for our country, our state, our families, and the blessings that are ours to enjoy.

Chuck Swindoll made a statement years ago that has profoundly shaped my attitude about life, and about gratitude itself. He said, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

The realization that we have control over our attitude will not only significantly enrich the quality of our lives, but it will lead us to what Eniko Jordan last week called the “attitude of gratitude” which we celebrate this week. That same attitude precludes the possibility of taking things for granted and causes us to acknowledge our dependence upon each other and upon God for the blessings that are ours.

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From David Ripley, Idaho Chooses Life

The left’s reaction to Sarah Palin should remind our friends of another dark moment in recent history: the “electronic lynching” of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Because Palin and Thomas both represent fundamental challenges to liberal orthodoxy – one can only imagine that the attacks on Palin will become ever more frantic, ever more vicious, and ever more hypocritical.

Within moments of her announcement, the Obama campaign launched a classic sexist attack on Palin’s “lack of qualifications” for Vice-President. In doing so, they reminded voters of their treatment of Hillary Clinton during the primary campaign; they also scratched the scab of Obama’s infamous remarks about “angry small town America” while being feted by the elites of San Francisco.

To his credit, Sen. Obama moved quickly to squelch such dismissive treatment of a sitting governor. A couple days later, Obama made it clear that he would not stand for attacks on Palin’s children as part of his campaign. (It may be one of his finest moments). Unfortunately, his fellow-travelers will not be leashed.

Palin represents a substantial and direct threat to modern feminism. She is an intelligent, powerful woman who has thought her way free of liberal orthodoxy. She is a woman, of course, but a woman who has rejected the destructive principles of feminism. For that she cannot be forgiven. For that she must be destroyed.

Just as racist rhetoric and tactics have been used by the Left in their efforts to destroy conservative blacks like Justice Thomas and Secretary Rice – so sexism will be used by feminists to keep a powerful woman like Sarah Palin from becoming an American icon of a different value system.

If there is a silver lining to all this, it may be that Americans will get a hard lesson in the hypocrisy and deceits of the Left.

We urge our readers to be in serious prayer for Mrs. Palin and her family. They are certain to be tested in ways that will hard to believe.

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In a previous post, I pointed out that the Idaho Falls newspaper appears to be losing it’s grip. It failed for several days to report important local news about convicted former county and city prosecutor, Kimball Mason. And it placed the story about the Minneapolis bridge collapse on page 5 the morning after it occurred.

In response to complaints about their coverage, the newspaper’s acting executive editor, Monte LaOrange, states that:

While the Post Register strives to have a complete, daily balance of nation, world, regional and local news, we will almost always run local stories and stories of local interest in the most prominent positions.

Yes, remember that the above-the-fold story on August 2nd, the day after the bridge collapse, concerned an Idaho Falls High School graduate working to overcome bacterial antibiotic resistance. This is a story that, while well-written, had probably been completed and in the hopper for several days, if not weeks. Not really “new” news.

Yet today we find on the front page articles entitled “NASA conducts tests to assess shuttle gouge” and “Rove was good, bad and did it smugly”, both fresh national stories. (Granted, neither was “above the fold”.)

Come on, newspaper. You can’t have it both ways.

Why don’t you just admit that you hate to mess up the front page when you have it “put to bed” after deadline?

And admit that when there isn’t much local news, you grab some national headlines and stuff them on the front page. The make-up of your front page is driven to a large extent by what is already written, and what fits the available space.

Perhaps there’s a little laziness revealed here.

And your readers will admit that you are becoming much less relevant – and much more like the weekly “feature” newspaper that has very little to do with daily life in southeastern Idaho.

Local television stations are doing a much better job of keeping up on local news, though they are unable to deliver the depth that a newspaper can.

It’s tough for a newspaper to be shoved aside by more immediate news sources. At least you have company, as newspapers across the nation shrink in advertising revenue and readership.

But, then again, you could always offer another “75% off” sale on subscriptions to some of your readers, while the rest pay full price.

That’s sure to keep ‘em happy.

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I join with Bryan Fischer, of Idaho Values Alliance, in urging all who support Rep. Bill Sali’s principled stand against Hindu prayers in Congress to contact one of Sali’s offices to offer support.

The vitriol leveled at Rep. Sali has been a bit surprising, given the fact that most unbiased observers still call the United States a Christian nation.

To contact Rep. Sali, call his Boise office at 208-336-9831, or visit his website for other options.

It is critically important that the distinction be made between freedom of religion, as guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, and prayers offered in Congress. As Rep. Sali correctly observes, our nation was founded on the belief in one God, the God of the Old and New Testaments, not a multiplicity of gods revered by Hindus.

I believe his concerns for our nation’s future are justified. Neither Hinduism, Islam nor any religion but Christianity have resulted in such freedom and prosperity as seen in the United States.

I urge you to take a moment and contact Rep. Sali with your words of support.

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If you’ve detected a slow-down in posts, you are very perceptive. I’ve just returned from a most wonderful week spent on the staff of “Akela’s Trail”, our Grand Teton Council’s adult Cub Scout leader training. I left a few posts to appear automatically, but was unable to write anything current.

But it was a week well-spent, serving with the world’s greatest (really!) Cub Scout leaders, getting to know many good people, and helping 5 camp participants learn more about this program for 7-10-yr-old boys. The weather was even great, though very warm.

My preparation for the camp was time-consuming, but every minute I spent beforehand was well worth the pay-off. Funny how helping other people works out that way.

Both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs are gearing up for September when they kick off for the new school year. If you serve in a Scouting program, I applaud you. If you don’t, I would urge you to volunteer. It’s a great way to give back to the community and help assure our nation’s future by training tomorrow’s leaders.

By the way, Boy Scouts of America turns the ripe old age of 100 this month.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOY SCOUTS!

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It’s a paper – but is it “news”?

Idaho Falls newspaper readers used to expect to read actual news in their paper – you know, events happening locally, in the nation and around the world. Recently, discriminating readers who have access to other news sources must ask if the paper has abandoned it’s traditional role.

Two cases in point:

Recently the Idaho Falls paper neglected to report a request for leniency by former county and city prosecutor Kimball Mason, convicted of corruption, until several days after the fact. The Pocatello television station apparently broke the story at least one if not two days earlier. (Though KPVI has the story dated July 25, I read it on their site on July 24. The paper reported it on July 26.) See related post.

And today, when national news stations and internet news sites are crushed under burgeoning stories of the 6:10pm, MDT, Minneapolis bridge collapse, the Idaho Falls paper relegates the story to minimal space on page 5.

Huh?

I can hear the newspaper editorial staff now: a bridge collapse in Minneapolis is hardly news in Idaho Falls.

I beg to differ, for a variety of reasons.

First, every motorist in the nation drives over bridges every day, with nary a thought to their structural integrity. We trust our government engineers implicitly. Failures like this are only supposed to happen in third world nations. Perhaps we are not safe on our roads and bridges.

Second, every American must admit to at least the fleeting thought that this disaster may have been caused by terrorists. We are currently being assured that this is not the case, but certainly in-depth investigations will take months, if not years.

It is possible, indeed, likely, that some Idaho Falls residents have lived in Minneapolis, and/or have friends or family there. They, of course, are very anxious for news on the tragedy.

And finally, there is the basic human interest element when cars, pedestrians and cyclists are unexpectedly plummeted into a large river, and the resulting rescue operation commences.

In defense of the newspaper, today’s front page stories are of some local interest: a graduate of an Idaho Falls high school works to conquer bacterial antibiotic resistance; the police department takes bids on firearms in the evidence room (since Kimball Mason is no longer helping himself to them), and – SURPRISE! – the Boy Scouts are 100 years old. (The newspaper has a long-standing history of hatred of the Boy Scouts of America.) But nothing with the urgency of a bridge collapse. These stories were written and submitted hours or days before last evening’s disaster.

Still, many Idaho Falls residents must be scratching their heads this morning. Is it laziness on the part of newspaper workers, who must “put the paper to bed” before they themselves can go home? Is it misjudgment? In the case of the Kimball Mason story, is it failure to adequately gather the news? Is it simply an acceptable liability of printing an early morning newspaper? Or are newspaper employees so insulated from the outside world that they failed to gauge the enormity of the Minneapolis catastrophe?

Whatever the cause, more and more local residents will be turning to other sources for their news. And perhaps that is a good thing.

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By Congressman Bill Sali (01-Idaho)

Recently, I voted against a bill not only because of what it contained but what it DID NOT contain: The bill did not put a stop to the automatic annual increases in congressional salaries. I think most people would agree with me that members of Congress should not get a raise when many of the people we work for — the people of the United States — do not.

In addition, Congress does not deserve a raise today because spending remains out of control. Since January, the new Democrat majority has authorized billions of dollars in new spending. With all that new spending — much of it on new programs or existing programs that don’t work — your taxes are sure to go up. It will likely be the biggest tax increase in the history of our country — more than $400 billion. I’m doing everything I can to stop this tax increase, but as you can tell, there’s a tough fight ahead.

I’m also concerned about the toll current economic conditions are having on you and your wallet in the 1st Congressional District. Gas prices are up. Food prices are up. Despite boom economic times generally, many middle-income families are fighting their own budget battles every week. Because I believe Congress must be fiscally responsible, my “no” vote was an easy one for me to make. Government must live within its means, and there is no better place for your Congress to start than by keeping its own salaries where they are.

What’s more, most Americans believe Congress collectively is not doing a very good job. I too want Congress to do a better job for our country. Here are some ways I believe Congress has come up short:

* Congress has failed to cut the role and size of government in the lives of Americans. This Congress has only continued to increase spending and authorizing new programs.

* Congress has failed to address the immigration problem. In fact, today we have Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff telling us that he has a “gut feeling” that a terrorist attack is imminent here in America this summer. The Administration has taken significant yet still insufficient steps to better secure our borders. Still, there are 12-20 million illegal aliens in America today. We don’t know where they are or what they’re doing – whether they are here to work or whether they’re here to commit crimes that put our friends and families in harm’s way. Of course, the great majority are here to earn income for their families. But some are not – they mean us ill. That makes securing our borders all the more critical.

* Congress has failed to address America’s energy problems. In fact, Congress is gearing up to pass an energy bill I believe is a “no-energy” bill and, in some cases, even penalizes the use of our own domestic energy resources. This legislation will likely result in fuel shortages and higher prices the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 1970s. We will be left importing more than 60 percent of our crude oil and essentially letting OPEC set the price we pay at the pump.

* Congress has failed to do a good job supporting our troops, fighting the war on terror and providing the resources to end the war in Iraq. It took Congress far too long to approve the money needed to get the job done in Iraq and fight against the jihadists who want us dead. Additionally, Congress decided that foreign policy is a horse-trading affair; in one instance, in order for me to vote to protect the troops and win the war, I also had to vote to raise the minimum wage. What does the minimum wage have to do with the war in Iraq?

Many of my colleagues voted in favor of the legislation which will result in the annual pay increase for Congress.

I bear them no ill. Many of them have families; most all of them maintain a home in their district and in Washington, D.C. U.S. Representatives often sacrifice a lot to be in Congress. But I believe my constituents hired me to represent their interests and do what’s right for our country and the state of Idaho. What’s right for Idaho and America is a smaller government and lower taxes. That means Congress needs to cut spending, and Congress is the perfect place to start the cuts.

Congressman Bill Sali

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“Hi! I’m Fred from the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy!”

Think Fred is crazy?

Actually, our entire solar system, including planet Earth, is from the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy – we just never knew it. (Hat tip to David Hay.)

A big thanks goes to ViewZone for focusing attention on a study published in Astrophysical Journal which shows the overlapping orbits of two galaxies.

We once thought Earth and her Sun belonged to the Milky Way. Now we know we have been “stolen” from the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy by the greater forces of the much larger Milky Way.

And it appears that we are approaching a critical moment in that process, when the Sagittarius Galaxy will finally be ripped apart. As might be expected, this phenomena is causing many observable changes in our solar system, including temperature increases on every planet (not just Earth) and growing atmospheres on Mars and our Moon. (So much for “man-made” global warming.)

The phase we are entering may actually be the reason for the discontinuation of the Mayan Calendar, long held to be the most accurate on Earth. Apparently it could not advance past the point where the Pleiades Star Cluster ceases to be a constant, which will take place during this apocalyptic transformation.

Be sure to check out the ViewZone article and click on the animation links to get a better idea of how two galaxies interact.

And get used to your new place in the universe!

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It appears that Idaho Falls is “on the map” to stay as the city continues to attract big names this summer.

Yes, Glenn Beck, star of radio and television, will be the headliner at the Idaho Region 7 Republican annual summer barbecue to be held at Riverbend Ranch in Idaho Falls on August 4.

Beck, rising from teenage disk jockey to nationally ranked radio talk show host with the Glenn Bock Program, is now also seen as well as heard nightly on CNN Headline News. He is also a contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America. Locally, Beck’s radio program airs on KID 590 on AM. Beck is also the founder and editor of Fusion Magazine.

Glenn Beck takes often-controversial positions on such issues as the war in Iraq, political correctness, Islam, President George Bush, and stem cell research. Beck is pro-gun, anti-abortion, and delights in skewering liberal hypocrisy. His opposition to the theory of global warming was recently the subject of his live appearances in his “Inconvenient Tour” in June.

For tickets to the Idaho Falls event, or for more information, email to mick.webster@yahoo.com or call 542-2502 after 5pm.

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