Top 10 Annoying Habits at Work

Hi friends,

I'm glad to have Brett Favre back in MN, aren't you?

Thanks for listening to BOB-106-FM
and Spirit-95.9-FM (Check out "Sports Spectrum" Sat. at 11am on Spirit-95.9-FM.)

God bless you,
BIGedbrady

The NFL Network and Fox Sports reported that Favre boarded a plane headed north on Tuesday afternoon. Three teammates, Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell, were absent from practice earlier in the day and went to Mississippi to recruit Favre.

When will Brett Favre decide?

CAPTION

By Chris McGrath, Getty Images

Also, Favre's official website sent out an e-mail today saying, "Stay tuned for breaking news from the Minnesota Vikings today on Brett Favre's possible return." (via PFT)

The Vikings have not confirmed the news. Favre's agent, Bus Cook, has not returned messages from USA TODAY.

Favre's trip north comes exactly one year after news broke that he would emerge from retirement for the second year in a row and would sign with the Vikings.

His first season in Minnesota ended with a loss in the NFC title game in New Orleans. Favre, 40, then had surgery on his left ankle in May. He has said since then he couldn't commit to another year until he was satisfied his body could endure it.

==========

Official Blog of the National Football League

Taste Test: The Best Salsa!

 RachaelRaymag.com, on Mon Aug 9, 2010 7:13am PDT

 

We taste-tested dozens of salsas from the grocery store, local stores and online to find our favorites.

BEST MILD: Brad's Organic Salsa
The biggest complaint about most jarred salsas: processed flavor. But panelists said this chunky combo tastes "like a bowl of fresh tomatoes;" "I could eat it like gazpacho." (bradsorganic.com for stores) Read the full review »
Try it in: Baja Fish Tacos »

BEST MEDIUM: Rosa Mexicano Chile Pasilla de Oaxaca Salsa
Created by chefs at the popular restaurant chain, this salsa's "intense, smoky" flavor comes from pasilla de Oaxaca chiles (a cousin of the chipotle). (rosamexicano.com) Read the full review »
Try it in: 3-Bean Salsa Salad »

BEST HOT: Drew's Hot Organic Salsa
Testers loved the chunky, balanced mix of tomatoes, cumin, jalapeño and roasted vegetables, and the measured level of heat: Great flavor without the pain. (chefdrew.com for stores) Read the full review »
Try it in: Grilled Cola Skirt Steak Salsa Tacos »

BEST OF THE BIG GUNS: Pace Picante Mild Sauce
The recipe hasn't changed since David Pace developed it 60 years ago in San Antonio, Texas, and it still calls for handpicked jalapeños: more than 25 million pounds a year. Judges liked its "classic, no-fuss taste."(at grocery stores) Read the full review »
Try it in: Brisket Nachos »

BEST CORN: Desert Pepper Trading Company Corn, Black Bean, Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
Many brands in this category were runny or low on corn, but this one "would hold its own on nachos or burritos," one panelist said. A generous helping of lime juice supplies "just the right amount of zing." (desertpepper.com for stores) Read the full review »
Try it in: Skirt Steak Burritos with Tomato-Corn Salsa »

BEST GREEN: Santa Fé Seasons Tomatillo Salsa
Fresh tomatillos (a green relative of the tomato), jalapeños and lime juice give this light, refreshing salsa its intense green color and ripe, tangy taste. (santafeseasons.com for stores) Read the full review »
Try it in: Grilled Pork with Green Tomato Salsa »

BEST FRUIT: Santa Barbara Tangy Apple Salsa
Tomatoes and apples aren't an obvious match, but judges loved the "unique, appealing flavor," likening it to "apple chutney with a kick." One panelist said, "Forget the chips, it would be great on a pork chop." (sbsalsa.com for stores) Read the full review »
Try it in: Grilled Pork Chops with Peachy Hot Salsa »

BEST EXOTIC: Natalie's Naturals Edamame Bean Salsa
Invented by a stay-at-home mom, this salsa has added soybeans for an extra dose of protein. Panelists appreciated the "smart, healthy twist," and "appealing crunch." (natalienaturals.com) Read the full review »
Try it in: Grilled Skirt Steak with Corn Salsa and Black Beans »

By Dorothy Kraswoska | Main Image Photography by Levi Brown

MORE TASTE TESTS:

• The best tortilla chips »
• The best potato chips »
• The best popcorn »
• The best frozen pizzas »
• The best barbecue sauce »
• The best hot sauce
  
• The best sausages »
• The best bacon »
• The best tomato sauce »
• The best peanut butters »
• The best coffees »
• The best ice creams »
• The best popsicles »
• The best chocolate chip cookies »

THANKS for listening to BOB-106-FM.  BIG Ed Brady

Reprinted by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from Composed by Rosanne Cash.  Copyright © 2010 by Rosanne Cash

CHAPTER ONE

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 24, 1955, a month before my dad’s first record, “Cry, Cry, Cry,” was released on Sun Records.  My mother had only two dresses that fit her in late pregnancy, she told me, and in her final month, during the most summerlike of the sultry late spring days in East Memphis, she would sit on the steps of the front porch and eat an entire washbasin of cherry tomatoes. It was her one craving.  On the afternoon of May 24, my mother went to her regular appointment with her obstetrician, who examined her and told her to go straight to the hospital. “This baby is going to be born today,” he said. I was born after only four hours of labor, at eight o’clock that evening.  My mother later told me that the loneliest feeling she had ever felt was when she was wheeled through the double doors of the hospital maternity ward to give birth and looked back to see my dad standing forlornly in the waiting room. He paced and smoked for the next four hours while she labored alone and chewed on a wet washcloth when the pains overtook her; she always spoke with great resentment about the fact that she was given a damp washcloth to suck and then left alone in a hospital room.  She was awake for the entire four hours of labor and given nothing for pain, and then put to sleep for the actual birth. It all sounded like a mean-spirited, medieval exercise in physical endurance and emotional isolation. Her accounts of it were so cinematic and full of emotion that I grew up terrified of the prospect of childbirth.  I had very few fantasies about having children or being a mother, because I could not get past the specter of childbirth, which seemed almost a horrible end in itself, with something only vague and indefinable on the other side of it. The fact that I eventually did bear four children, delivered both “naturally” and with pain medication, never really lessened my fear. 

When my mother went back for her six-week checkup after my birth, the doctor informed her that she was pregnant again.  My sister Kathy was born ten months and twenty-three days after me.  Kathy was a fragile child who had mysterious illnesses and the worst versions of every childhood disease, and I have always felt guilty that I may have taken all the nutrients out of my mother’s body when I inhabited her womb, just before Kathy’s arrival there.

Two years after Kathy’s birth, my sister Cindy was born, and soon after that we moved from Memphis to Southern California. My sister Tara was born shortly after we settled in Encino, in the San Fernando Valley. My mother’s fourth pregnancy and delivery were difficult for her. She carried Tara for ten months and endured a hard sixteen-hour labor. After the birth of her fourth daughter, my mother, in tears, informed my father that she was finished with childbearing, even though she had initially said she wanted six children. My father agreed, although he harbored a secret desire for a son, which he finally got when I was fifteen and he was married to June, not my mother.

My parents bought Johnny Carson’s house on Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino.  My most vivid memory of the three years we lived there was of the day a film crew showed up in our living room to tape a show called Here’s Hollywood. My mother was extremely nervous, and we children were made to dress up in poufy dresses, white ankle socks, and black patent leather shoes, with our hair pulled tightly back into bows. We had to sit absolutely still and silent on the sofa next to my parents while the camera was trained on us and the interviewer spoke to them. Then we were sent outside while Mom and Dad were interviewed alone. The whole experience was profoundly unsettling to me. It may have been the first time that I registered – at age five – how it felt to be truly angry. I didn’t like how my mother changed for the camera, showing only a social veneer that didn’t represent her true self at all, and I didn’t like it that my dad had even allowed them in our house. I recognized the falsity, and silently rebelled against the intrusion. Thus began a lifelong wariness of journalists.

But I loved the house.

It had a pool and a big yard, and the room I shared with my sisters had Alice in Wonderland murals on the wall behind the twin beds.  We lived on the corner, with a school crossing in front of our house. Every morning and afternoon a crossing guard showed up in her car and waited for the school bus. As it arrived, she got out, slipped her plastic orange neon vest over her clothes, picked up her little stop sign, and positioned herself at the crosswalk to guide the children across the street.  This was the most fascinating ritual in the world to me, and the first few times I saw her I ran out to speak to her. She was very kind to me, but after several days, when my mother saw me actually get into the crossing guard’s car to talk to her, she forbade me to pay her any more visits. At age four, seriously disappointed and with great longing, I stationed myself in the picture window at the front of the house twice a day to observe her and the children from afar.  Part of the romance for me was the older children, for I badly wanted to go to school. 

Sensing my frustration, my mother eventually enrolled me in a nursery school down the street for two or three days a week.  Although I enjoyed it, I discovered that it didn’t provide enough to satisfy my curiosity. I would ask my mother to read me every sign, every paper, every milk carton and package I saw. I insisted she tell me every word and what it meant, nearly driving her crazy in the process, and then I tried to memorize their spellings and meanings. On learning that Europe was a place across the ocean, I asked her if “European” was a real word.  She made a joke about going to the bathroom along the lines of “You’re peeing” and refused to say whether it was a real word which made me furious with her. She didn’t take my intense need to learn about language seriously, and I was desperate for someone who understood my hunger.  My dad would have understood, but he was gone much of the time, and during his recent visits home he had become strange, dark, and intensely distracted.  Although I’m not sure why, I didn’t go to kindergarten; bored senseless, I began to create imaginary friends, all of whom were adults.  Much later in life, a genial psychiatrist to whom I had confided this fact pointed out how unusual it was for a child to have adult imaginary friends, but it still seems perfectly natural to me.  I felt safe with them, and they taught me a great deal.  I still think of them fondly and I have a deep superstition about speaking their names aloud. They were my own personal crossing guards.

Apple Lasagne

The Oak Ridge Boys Score 2 Million 'Fancy Free' Spins on Radio

Chalk up another huge honor for the Oak Ridge Boys. Their 1981 chart-topping hit, 'Fancy Free,' has received a Two-Million Spins Award from BMI.

Some fancy trivia numbers: 'Fancy Free' has been broadcast over 116,000 hours, or 4,861 days, which translates into more than 13 years of continuous airplay!

"The greatest songwriters in Nashville have written the Oak Ridge Boys' career with master pieces," says lead singer Duane Allen. "When I first heard 'Fancy Free,' I felt it was a hit just waiting to be recorded. We loved the song so much that we titled our biggest selling album by the same name. Thanks to Jimbeau Hinson and Roy August for writing this great hit, and congratulations to them for more than two million air plays on radio."

The Oak Ridge Boys, whose current lineup consists of Duane (who joined the Oaks in 1966), baritone William Lee Golden (1965), tenor Joe Bonsall (1973) and bass Richard Sterban (1972), was founded in 1945 as a gospel group called the Oak Ridge Quartet. They changed direction in the mid '70s, crossing over to country and pop music with the release of their debut country album, 'Y'all Come Back Saloon.'

The Boys are still on a roll today. This month, they captured the No. 1 song on The Boot's 'Earworm Tunes: Top 10 Catchy Songs in Country' with their mega No. 1 hit (and signature song), 'Elvira.'

To find out where the Oaks will be performing in the coming weeks, click here.

THANKS for listening, BIG Ed Brady, BOB-FM

Save money on your taxes, if you keep your receipts for Tax time.

It could help your wallet to keep track of the cost of your kid's day camp. IRS spokesperson Carrie Resch says the Child and Dependent Care Credit is worth as much as 21-hundred dollars when you file your taxes next year.

There's more information at IRS.gov.  

Thanks for listening, BIG Ed Brady, BOBFM
==============

Also, there's a "new" kind of auto racing this Thursday at 5:30pm at ERX track in Elk River (north of town on Hwy 169): "BeaterCross"  Info below.

	ERX Motor Park is located just 3 miles north of Elk River off Highway 169. Visit ERX Motor Park for directions and more information.
BEATERCROSS IS FINALLY HERE - THIS THURSDAY Opening Round of the NOS Energy Drink Beater-X Series is This Thursday at 5:30pm         With registrations stacking up at ERX central, and final track preparations in the works, just days remain until the open round of the NOS Energy Drink Beatercross Series kicks-off the most bizarre and sure to be entertaining type of auto racing you’ve ever seen. Beatercross is dirt track terrain racing for compact cars and trucks, featuring stripped down four and six cylinder vehicles competing side by side on a motocross type track.     Continuing with their focus on family fun, ERX promoters adopted the Beatercross idea after learning of its success during a central Minnesota county fair last summer. “The idea is rather simple,” said Chris Carlson, co-owner of the ERX facility. “The cars are affordable, the racing should be extremely entertaining and the ERX venue is the perfect place to put it all together. We already have nearly 20 entries, and we expect at least that many more to register at the gate.”       The racing action gets underway at 5:30pm, but racers can check-in anytime between 12 and 4pm. A mandatory drivers meeting will take place at 4:45pm with practice laps afterwards. All cars must pass a pre-race inspection checklist before they are allowed on the track. Race registration is just $30, while spectators can take in all the action for just $10 for adults with children 12 and under admitted for free. Don’t miss the first ever NOS Energy Drink Beatercross race at ERX this Thursday night! ADDITIONAL MOTOCROSS OPEN PRACTICE DATES ANNOUNCED Three Wednesday Open Practice Dates Announced for the Month of August         Even thought the 2010 Heinen’s Yamaha Moto-X Series is wrapped up for the season, open practice remains throughout the summer months. Open motocross practice on a slightly revised track will continue at ERX every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. However open practice will not be offered Thursday August 12th and the 26th due to rounds two and three of the NOS Energy Beatercross Series.     With that in mind, ERX will offer three additional practice dates during the month of August on Wednesday nights, August 11, 18 and the 25th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Mark your calendars and we’ll see you at ERX this summer.   LIMITED OPENINGS STILL REMAIN AT FCA MOTOCROSS CAMP Fellowship of Christian Athletes Week Long Camp Offers Riders a Chance to Learn from Top Pro Motocross Stars         The five day Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Motocross Camp in North Crosby, Minnesota is filling up fast, but limited spots remain to learn from some of the best riders on the planet, in what will be the only Midwest national FCA motocross camp offered this summer. With a list of past instructors that includes the likes of such hero riders as Mike LaRocco, James Polvony, Kevin Windam, Nathan Ramsey, and Andrew Short, camp attendees will learn improved riding techniques on the track and encouraging messages about life off the track during the five day camp.     Scheduled for July 19-23 at the Trax North motocross facility (www.traxnorth.com) in North Crosby, Minnesota, the experience brings together the action intensity of motocross with its’ high profile athletes and their stories of integrity, leadership, respect and faith.     Trout Lake Campgrounds near Pine River, Minnesota will serve as host during the event. Registration for the five-day/four-night FCA Motocross Camp is $695 for participants and $295 for non-riding parents/guardians. Upon registration, a complete checklist of what to bring including recommended parts, lubricants and riding gear will be made available; however participants must have their own motocross bike. For more information and to register visit www.fcamx.org or www.troutlakecamp.org - or call Jake Vanada at (651) 485-0207. Registrations are limited and expected to fill quickly. ERX Motor Park Summer 2010 Partners   Where Everyone Is A Racer	ERX Events Calendar   Track Rental & Private Events Let ERX Host Your Demo Event Call 763-633-RIDE for details ERX Open Track Practice Tues & Thur 4pm-8pm Plus August 11, 18 & 25th  Only $30 per rider!   NOS Energy Drink Beater-X Crazy Car-Cross Action Thursday Night Under the Lights July 1st, 2010 NOS Energy Drink Beater-X Jumps, Berms and Contact Thursday Night Under the Lights August 12th, 2010   NOS Energy Drink Beater-X Summer's Last Blast Action Thursday Night Under the Lights August 26th, 2010   LATEST TRACK CONDITIONS Stay in-tune with ERX ERX TRACK UPDATES The Elk River Extreme Motor Park (ERX) is a privately owned family oriented motorsports facility located north on U.S. Highway 169 in Elk River Minnesota. The facility is designed to host year-round racing events including snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATVs, side by side UTVs, go-karts and more. ERX Motor Park is also available for private events, club functions, fund-raisers and practice. Information on ERX Motor Park can be found at www.erxmotorpark.com or email the ERX staff at info@erxmotorpark.com.

>>Country Stars Featured On Fundraising CD Supporting Hospitalized Troops -

Cool... Good to see the Troups being supported. 
Check out the CD below.

By the way, have you seen our "We Support the Troups" BOB-FM bumper sticker? 

Want one? 

Send me an Email at ed@dothebob.com. 

God bless America,
BIG Ed Brady
BOB-FM

Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, and Trace Adkins are among the country stars featured in the upcoming compilation "My Country: Smash Hits." Shelton's "Home," Reba's "I'll Be," and Paisley's "We Danced" join Big & Rich's "Lost in This Moment," Keith Urban's "Better Life," Lady Antebellum's "Love Don't Live Here," and Randy Houser's "Boots On" in the collection. Songs from Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, and Rodney Atkins are also featured, along with tracks by Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, and Jypsi. Adkins' "Til The Last Shot's Fired" completes the set, which is part of an ongoing series of charity CDs. This installment is supporting the Fisher House Foundation, which provides a home to families of members of the military -- both active duty and retired -- who are being treated at military medical centers. "My Country: Smash Hits" will be available August 24th.

"My Country: Smash Hits" Track Listing

1. Blake Shelton, "Home"

2. Big & Rich, "Lost in this Moment"

3. Montgomery Gentry, "My Town"

4. Rascal Flatts, "He Ain't the Leavin' Kind"

5. Rodney Atkins, "The River Just Knows"

6. Jypsi, "Anything At All"

7. Reba McEntire, "I'll Be"

8. Lady Antebellum, "Love Don't Live Here"

9. Darius Rucker, "If I Had Wings"

10. Brad Paisley, "We Danced"

11. Keith Urban, "Better Life"

12. Dierks Bentley, "My Last Name"

13. Randy Houser, "Boots On"

14. Trace Adkins, "Til The Last Shot's Fired"

Flag Day (United States)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.^[1]

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.

Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, though on June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale.^[1] Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110^[2] is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the President's discretion to proclaim officially the observance.

One of the longest-running Flag Day parades is held annually in Quincy, Massachusetts, which began in 1952, celebrating its 59th year in 2010.^[3] The 59th Annual Appleton Wisconsin 2009 Flag Day Parade featured the U.S. Navy. The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in Troy, New York, which bases its parade on the Quincy parade and typically draws 50,000 spectators.^[1][4]

Perhaps the oldest continuing Flag Day parade is at Fairfield WA (scroll down to list at #4). Beginning in 1909 or 1910, Fairfield has held a parade every year since, with the possible exception of 1918, and will celebrate the "Centennial" parade in 2010, along with some other commemorative events.

 

Flag of the United States

Several people and/or organizations played instrumental roles in the establishment of a national Flag Day celebration. They are identified here in chronological order.

[edit] 1861, George Morris

The earliest reference to the suggestion of a "Flag Day" is cited in Kansas: a Cyclopedia of State History, published by Standard Publishing Company of Chicago in 1912. It credits George Morris of Hartford, Connecticut:

To George Morris of Hartford, Conn., is popularly given the credit of suggesting "Flag Day," the occasion being in honor of the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777. The city of Hartford observed the day in 1861, carrying out a program of a patriotic order, praying for the success of the Federal arms and the preservation of the Union.

The observance apparently did not become a tradition.^[1]

[edit] 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand

Stony Hill School, in Waubeka, Wisconsin, the site of the first formal observance of Flag Day

Working as a grade school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, in 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand held the first recognized formal observance of Flag Day at the Stony Hill School. The school has been restored, and a bust of Cigrand also honors him at the National Flag Day Americanism Center in Waubeka.^[5]

From the late 1880s on, Cigrand spoke around the country promoting patriotism, respect for the flag, and the need for the annual observance of a flag day on June 14, the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes.^[1][6]

He moved to Chicago to attend dental school and, in June 1886, first publicly proposed an annual observance of the birth of the United States flag in an article titled "The Fourteenth of June," published in the Chicago Argus newspaper. In June 1888, Cigrand advocated establishing the holiday in a speech before the "Sons of America," a Chicago group. The organization founded a magazine, American Standard, in order to promote reverence for American emblems. Cigrand was appointed editor-in-chief and wrote articles in the magazine as well as in other magazines and newspapers to promote the holiday.

On the third Saturday in June 1894, a public school children’s celebration of Flag Day took place in Chicago at Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks. More than 300,000 children participated, and the celebration was repeated the next year.^[6]

Cigrand became president of the American Flag Day Association and later of the National Flag Day Society, which allowed him to promote his cause with organizational backing. Cigrand once noted he had given 2,188 speeches on patriotism and the flag.

Cigrand lived in Batavia, Illinois, from 1913–1932.^[7]

Cigrand generally is credited with being the "Father of Flag Day," with the Chicago Tribune noting that he "almost singlehandedly" established the holiday.

[edit] 1888, William T. Kerr

William T. Kerr, a resident of Collier Township, Pennsylvania, for a number of years, founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania in 1888, and became that organization's national chairman one year later, serving as such for fifty years. He attended President Harry S. Truman's 1949 signing of the Act of Congress that formally established the observance.

[edit] 1889, George Bolch

In 1889, the principal of a free kindergarten, George Bolch, celebrated the Revolution and celebrated Flag Day, as well.^[1][8]

[edit] 1893, Elizabeth Duane Gillespie

In 1893, Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, attempted to have a resolution passed requiring the American flag to be displayed on all Philadelphia's public buildings. This is why some credit Philadelphia as Flag Day's original home.^[1] In 1937, Pennsylvania became the first state to make Flag Day a legal holiday.^[8]

[edit] 1907, BPOE

American fraternal order and social club the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has celebrated the holiday since the early days of the organization and allegiance to the flag is a requirement of every member.^[9] In 1907, the BPOE Grand Lodge designated by resolution June 14 as Flag Day. The Grand Lodge of the Order adopted mandatory observance of the occasion by every Lodge in 1911, and that requirement continues.^[9]

The Elks prompted President Woodrow Wilson to recognize the Order's observance of Flag Day for its patriotic expression.^[9]

[edit] 1908, Theodore Roosevelt

On June 14, Theodore Roosevelt was dining outside Philadelphia, when he noticed a man wiping his nose with what he thought was the American Flag. In outrage, Roosevelt picked up a small wooden rod and began to whip the man for "defacing the symbol of America." After about five or six strong whacks, he noticed that the man was not wiping his nose with a flag, but with a blue handkerchief with white stars. Upon realization of this, he apologized to the man, but hit him once more for making him "riled up with national pride."^[10]

[edit] Observance of Flag Day

The Betsy Ross House

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flag day

The week of June 14 is designated as "National Flag Week." During National Flag Week, the president will issue a proclamation urging U.S. citizens to fly the American flag for the duration of that week. The flag should also be displayed on all Government buildings. Some organizations hold parades and events in celebration of America's national flag and everything it represents.

The National Flag Day Foundation holds an annual observance for Flag Day on the second Sunday in June. The program includes a ceremonial raising of the flag, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem (The Star-spangled Banner), a parade and more. ^[1]

The Betsy Ross House has long been the site of Philadelphia's observance of Flag Day.^[1]

20 Things You Should Never Buy Used

These are funny laws.  I thought you might enjoy them.  BIG Ed Brady - BOBFM

Teach your children the importance of Memorial Day

 

Memorial Day's real meaning - Let us Pray and pay our respects.

Hi, BIG Ed Brady here.  I found this interesting.  Hope you do too!  Ed

Department store tricks to get you to spend more

 

It's easy to be lured in by the sale signs and special promotions at a department store, but by the time you leave, you may feel as if you've been had. Department stores employ several "tricks" to get customers to spend more -- and to the untrained eye, they are not so easy to spot.

"At the end of the day, retailers are just trying to sell stuff," says Nicole Thompson, who has worked in merchandising positions for Circuit City and the May Department Stores, and now has her own business providing outsourced buying services and retail consulting.
"They are approaching it with some creativity, but they're also approaching it with some science," says Paco Underhill, a New York author of the popular book Why We Buy, which details several of the practices used by retailers to improve sales.

Here's how department stores get customers who planned on only buying one item to walk out with five or six:

Smell
There's a reason why perfume counters are located at the front of a department store: Not only is perfume a moneymaker, but it also smells good.

"That, in part, gets our saliva glands developing, and when we are salivating we are much less disciplined shoppers," says Underhill.

Sound
Music can lure shoppers to stay, or send them away. But it needs to make sense for the store's core demographic. Abercrombie & Fitch, for example, blares music a 40-year-old doesn't want to hear, so that he or she won't stick around, but younger shoppers will.

Some stores change their music depending on the time of day, such as Frank Sinatra on Monday mornings when older shoppers and mothers with young children are more likely to be around, and then switch to modern, hip music on Friday nights to attract the younger shoppers, says Underhill.

Shopping carts
They're conveniently located near the entrance so shoppers at Target, Wal-Mart and other big box retailers can easily grab one and put their stuff in it while walking around the store. You may have intended to buy only a few items, but a huge cart makes it easier to buy more because there is so much room in it, says Thompson.

The stuff you came for is in the back of the store
Most of the staples that consumers regularly shop for are often located at the back of the store, thereby forcing them to walk past the store's less in-demand items on the way there. That provides more opportunity for you to spot something you like -- but weren't planning on buying. Toy departments are often located near the back of the store as well, because pretty much every child will beg their parents to make a stop there while shopping.

High-end items will be on the right
Stores are designed like a racetrack, with areas for shoppers to get on and get off. High-profit items may be to the right of the entrance. "Typically people just walk to the right when they go into stores," says Thompson.

Roomy aisles
Department stores also strive to offer shoppers plenty of places to comfortably stop, increasing the chance that they'll take some time to look around and buy something. Underhill calls it the "butt brush factor," where shoppers, mainly women, are less likely to buy if they're crowded from behind. They prefer a comfortable place to stand and look at the tie or blouse, he says.

Lighting
Just as stores play on the senses of smell and sound, lighting can also be used to increase sales. Putting a product near eye level in a dark basket, and highlighted with warm lighting, can make it look much better than it ever will at home, says Underhill. Williams-Sonoma does an excellent job of lighting its appliances, table tops and other selling areas in this way, he says.

Eye level, and end of aisle
The most expensive version of a product are placed at eye level so it's the first item you'll see. Cheaper options are typically on bottom shelves where you'd have to look down to see it and stoop down to pick it up. A similar philosophy is employed at the end of an aisle. The "end cap" as it's called, is where items are usually put on sale because shoppers often notice those areas, says Thompson.

Impulse buys and displays include multiple products
In clothing sections, for example, focal points such as displays will be created showing an ensemble, so that a shopper looking solely for a blouse will also see a bag and pair of shoes that go with it. "If we were only in the business of selling this blouse, we would be out of business," Underhill says. "We very much want to link items."

Impulse buys, as every shopper probably knows, are near the checkouts. You're probably thirsty after shopping and standing in line, and an overpriced drink near the checkout stand looks enticing. Other impulse buys include candy and accessories, such as bracelets and sunglasses.

Accessories and store brands
Some of the best profit margins come from accessories, especially in-house brands, says Thompson, who was a buyer for Circuit City. A USB cable made by the company's brand will often be placed right near the checkout counter. So a shopper who had the more expensive name brand in their cart may opt to switch to the cheaper version right before checking out.

Even being aware of these tricks of the trade, doesn't mean you won't fall prey to them. Thompson says that even though she's employed these tricks in her own line of work, "I fall for them every time I go into a store."

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 'best' way to reach me while I'm on the air is my Email: ed@dothebob.com.

Some DJs can 'talk on the phone' and do their radio show at the same time, but I prefer not to be on the phone with one person while tens of thousands of people listening to the radio are counting on me to be entertaining. 

It's my opinon that the 'ratio' is faulty... putting one person's need (on the phone) over the tons of people listening to my radio show in their cars, at work, and at home. 

The truth is shameful.  I can't tell you the number of times, over the years, that something has gone 'wrong' on-the-air, while I was talking to someone on the phone. 

So, if you've called the studio during my show and I didn't answer, I'm sorry. 

However, I'd be happy to get an Email from you anytime, and I can answer your Email when things are less hectic here in the studio.  Hope you understand.

Love ya,
BIG Ed Brady  ed@dothebob.com
BOB-FM

"What do eggs have to do with EASTER?"

 At the Jewish Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both 'new life' and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem.

 In Christian Traditions, the egg was a symbol of new life because a chick (new life) might hatch from the egg, reminding us that Jesus rose from the dead on the first Easter, 2000 years ago.

 Eggs were viewed as symbols of 'new life' and fertility through the ages.

 Source: http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/history/icons/easter_egg.htm

"EASTER comments from PASTOR ED"

Eggs are fun to find on an Easter Egg hunt, and pretty to look at, but as an Ordained Minister I just "have to" remind you that the real meaning of Easter is the "Resurrection of Jesus" who died on the Cross for our sins on Good Friday, was placed in the tomb for 3 days, and rose again on the first Easter.  Explain that real story from 2,000 years ago to your children and grand-children.  If you don't, who will?  You'll find the story in the Gospels (Matthew's version is my favorite).

God bless you,
Ed Brady

Hi gang,

I found an interesting article about preventing breast cancer.  Hope it helps you.  Here's the article.


Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference on breast cancer said Thursday.

While better treatments, early diagnosis and mammogram screenings have dramatically slowed the disease, experts said the focus should now shift to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity.

"What can be achieved with screening has been achieved. We can't do much more," Carlo La Vecchia, head of epidemiology at the University of Milan, told The Associated Press. "It's time to move onto other things."

La Vecchia spoke Thursday on the influence of lifestyle factors at a European breast cancer conference in Barcelona.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. In Europe, there were about 421,000 new cases and nearly 90,000 deaths in 2008, the latest available figures. The United States last year saw more than 190,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths. A woman's lifetime chance of getting breast cancer is about one in eight.

Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. So experts suspect that the fatter a woman is, the more estrogen she's likely to produce, which could in turn spark breast cancer. Even in slim women, exercise can help reduce the cancer risk by converting more of the body's fat into muscle.

La Vecchia cited figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which estimated that 25 to 30 percent of breast cancer cases could be avoided if women were thinner and exercised more.

That means staying slim and never becoming overweight in the first place. Robert Baan, an IARC cancer expert, said it wasn't clear if women who lose weight have a lower cancer risk or if the damage was already done from when they were heavy.

Drinking less alcohol could also help. Experts estimate that having more than a couple of drinks a day can boost a woman's risk of getting breast cancer by four to 10 percent.

After studies several years ago linked hormone replacement therapy to cancer, millions of women abandoned the treatment, leading to a sharp drop in breast cancer rates. Experts said a similar reduction might be seen if women ate better — consuming less fat and more vegetables — and exercised more.

Michelle Holmes, a cancer expert at Harvard University, said changing things like diet and nutrition is arguably easier than tackling other breast cancer risk factors.

"Women who have early pregnancies are protected against breast cancer, but teenage pregnancy is a social disaster so it's not something we want to encourage," she said in a phone interview. "But there's no downside to reducing obesity and increasing physical activity."

She also said people may mistakenly think their chances of getting cancer are more dependent on their genes than their lifestyle.

"The genes have been there for thousands of years, but if cancer rates are changing in a lifetime, that doesn't have much to do with genes," she said.

In the 1980s and 1990s, breast cancer rates steadily increased, in parallel with the rise in obesity and the use of hormone replacement therapy, which involves estrogen.

La Vecchia said countries like Italy and France — where obesity rates have been stable for the past two decades — show that weight can be controlled at a population level.

"It's hard to lose weight, but it's not impossible," he said. "The potential benefit of preventing cancer is worth it."

I'll Email a copy of this to Mrs. Brady, and my daughter in law too.

Thanks for listening: M-F 3-7pm "Drive Time" on BOB-FM with BIG Ed Brady

Love ya, BIG Ed Brady

PS: If you speak Spanish, or you have a friend who does, make sure you tune in to the Minnesota Twins baseball games in "Spanish" on our sister-station, "La Mera Buena" 107.5 FM. 

PPS: If you know of a Business who would like to 'advertise' in the "Spanish" version of the MN Twins games, have them Email me at ed@edbradyradio.com

Retirement - After 20 years of success the Super Duo splits

On August 10, 2009, Brooks & Dunn announced that they would be retiring.

They informed their fans by releasing this statement on their website:

"After 20 years of making music and riding this trail together, we have agreed as a duo that it's time to call it a day. This ride has been everything and more than we could ever have dreamed .... We owe it all to you, the fans. If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time.

We will release our #1's and then some on September 8th and come see you all one more time in 2010, with The Last Rodeo Tour (dates to be announced)."

THANKS to all who called and all who tried to win these special tickets.

Stay tuned to BOB-FM for more opportunities to win with us. 

I'll see you on the radio Sun. morning 8-10am on "Country Gospel" on BOB-106-FM (and 6-8am on Spirit-95.9FM for "Sonrise with Pastor Ed"). God bless you, Ed

Brand New Man  - The answer to today's trivia question to win tickets is in the info below.

Their debut album, Brand New Man, was released on August 13, 1991.

Its first four singles, "Brand New Man", "My Next Broken Heart", "Neon Moon", and "Boot Scootin' Boogie" reached number one, they all had Ronnie Dunn on lead vocals.

The album's last single, "Lost and Found", however, reached #6, their first single to miss the top spot, and the first to feature Kix Brooks on lead vocals.

The album was certified 6x Multi-Platinum (6 Million copies sold) by the RIAA, and peaked at #3.  

HOPE YOU WIN, BIG Ed Brady, BOB-FM
 

Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks III was born May 12, 1955, in Shreveport, La., and before moving to Nashville in 1979, he worked the club circuit in Alaska and Maine.

Ronnie Gene Dunn was born June 1, 1953, in Coleman, Texas, and before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, he briefly studied theology in a seminary at Abilene Christian University, preparing for a life in ministry.

There, Ronnie fronted the house band at a popular nightspot called Duke's Country. He later broke into the national spotlight by winning a talent contest that was sponsored by Marlboro.  They were both "solo" artists back then.

 God bless you, Ed Brady

BOB-106-FM

If you’re looking to eat healthfully at your favorite restaurant, don’t automatically turn to the salad menu. Turns out, restaurant salads can often be as bad as—or worse than—any burger or steak on the menu. Sure, salads may contain a fresh produce base, but those leafy greens are too often weighed down with cheese, deep fried croutons, and high-calorie dressings. In fact, one salad from a popular chain restaurant contains over 1,500 calories! Surprised? Then check out this list of the Worst Salads in America, culled from the new book Eat This, Not That! 2010.

America's Worst French Fries (and What You Should Eat Instead!)

By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding - Posted on Mon, Feb 22, 2010, 11:21 am PST

Eat This, Not That
by David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding a Yahoo! Health Expert for Nutrition

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In spite of the name, French fries are practically an American birthright. They’re offered as the first choice side dish with nearly every fast-food and sit-down chain meal available. But here’s the catch: In a recent study of 7,318 New York City patrons leaving fast food chains during the lunch hour, researchers learned that combo meals—meaning meals with sides—averaged 1,100 calories each, which is over half a day’s allotment. It goes to show: When your regular meals at these restaurants are already pushing the nutritional envelope, adding an extra 300 (or more!) empty calories can make for a dietary disaster.

The authors of the best-selling weight-loss series Eat This, Not That! and Cook This, Not That! have rounded up three of the worst orders of fries available at chain restaurants across the country. We’ve also offered up the surprising winner of the fast food French fry cook-off—you’ll never believe which restaurant chain produces the healthiest fried spuds!

Worst Curly Fries
Arby’s Curly Fries (Large)
640 calories
34 g fat (5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
1,460 mg sodium

Arby’s is famous for its curly fries—too bad they’re overloaded with fat, calories and sodium. When one side dish accounts for nearly three-quarters of your daily allotment of salt, you know there’s a problem. As fun as these curli-Qs are, stick to the Homefry variety at Arby’s—downsizing to a small Curly Fries will still leave you with a 410-calorie side, which is more than many of Arby’s sandwiches!

Bonus tip: For full nutrition information for all of your favorite chain restaurants and thousands of foods, download the bestselling Eat This, Not That! iPhone app. It’s like having your own personal nutritionist in your pocket at all times, and will help you avoid the caloric calamities and guide you to the best ways to lose your belly fast.

Eat This Instead!
Homestyle Fries (Small)
350 calories
15 g fat (2 g saturated)
720 mg sodium

Worst Wedge Fries
Jack in the Box Bacon Cheddar Wedges
715 calories
45 g fat (13 g saturated, 1 g trans)
905 mg sodium

It doesn’t take a nutritionist to identify the hazards of a grease-soaked, cheese-slathered sack of deep-fried potatoes, but by appearance alone, nobody could guess what’s really at stake when you order this side from Jack’s. The American Heart Association recommends that people cap their trans fat intake at 1 percent of total calories. For people on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 2 grams per day. See the problem? Another issue, of course, is the overload in calories—about one-third your daily allotment! 

Bonus tip: Cheese fries are clearly an unhealthy choice. But sometimes healthy-seeming options are just as dangerous as the obvious diet-sinkers. For 30 jaw-dropping examples, check out The 30 Worst Sandwiches in America. 

Eat This Instead!
Grilled Chicken Strips (4) with Fire Roasted Salsa
185 calories
2 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
805 mg sodium

Worst Fries for Your Blood Pressure
Dairy Queen Chili Cheese Fries
1,240 calories
71 g fat (28 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
2,550 milligrams sodium

This one’s a no-brainer: Chili, cheese, fried potatoes. But even a savvy eater couldn’t possibly anticipate how bad these 3 ingredients could be when combined by one heavy-handed fast-food company. There’s as much sodium in this side dish as you’ll find in 15 strips of bacon. Stick with classic ketchup and recapture nearly a day’s worth of sodium and 930 calories.

Bonus tip: Save calories, time, and money with our free Eat This, Not That! newsletter. Sign up today and you’ll get the Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week for free!

Eat This Instead!
French Fries (regular)
310 calories
13 g fat (2 g saturated)
640 mg sodium

Worst Regular Order of Fries
Five Guys Fries (large)
1,464 calories
71 g fat (14 g saturated)
213 mg sodium

Unfortunately, Five Guys doesn’t offer anything but fries in the side department. Your safest bet, of course, is to skip the fries altogether (you’d be better off adding a second patty to your burger), but if you can’t bring yourself to eat a burger sans fries, then split a regular order. That will still add 310 calories to your meal, but it beats surrendering more than 75% of your day’s calories to a greasy paper bag. 

Bonus tip: Sides account for a third of our combo-meal calories—but drinks account for a quarter of the total calories we consume each day! Battle the liquid bulge: Avoid all drinks on this shocking list of The Worst Drinks in the Supermarket.

Eat This Instead!
Regular Fries (1/2 serving)
310 calories
15 g fat (3 g saturated)
45 mg sodium

Worst Fries in America
Chili’s Texas Cheese Fries w/Jalapeno Ranch
1,920 calories
147 g fat (63 g saturated)
3,580 mg sodium

The only thing that comes close to redeeming this cheesy mound of lard and grease is the fact that it’s ostensibly meant to be shared with a few friends. Even so, you’ll collectively be taking in an entire day’s worth of calories, three days’ allotment of saturated fat, and a day and a half’s allotment of sodium. What’s even scarier, if you can imagine, is that even if you try to order more sensibly and ask for the “half” order of Texas Cheese Fries, you’ll still receive a disastrous dish that packs in 1,400 calories. There’s one French fries side dish at Chili’s that’s acceptable, although even in its much-reduced form, you’d be better off splitting it.

Bonus Tip: See what other Chili’s items made our list of The 20 Worst Restaurant Foods in America.

Eat This Instead!
Homestyle Fries
380 calories
23 g fat (4 g saturated)
230 mg sodium

Best Fast Food Fries in America
McDonald’s Small French Fries
230 calories
11 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
160 mg sodium

Out of the big three fast food joints (Mickey D’s, Wendy’s, and BK), you’ll find the least caloric, least salty fries underneath the golden arches. The key to ordering a smart side dish is portion sizing—and McDonald’s has that under control.

------------

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Best and Worst Foods! Get the new book!

 

 

  Love ya, BIG Ed Brady, BOB-FM

On January 1, 2010, Jimmy Wayne launched his “Meet Me Halfway” campaign when he begins his solo walk halfway across America in Nashville, TN.  Wayne’s intention is not only to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless, especially at risk children, teens and young adults, but also raise funds for organizations that benefit homeless youth, including HomeBase Youth Services, a Phoenix, AZ based organization that provides essentials for homeless young adults. Wayne will begin the walk at 10:00 a.m. CT on January 1st at Monroe Harding in Nashville, another organization that services at risk children and young adults. He plans to walk to Phoenix, AZ.

 

Jimmy encourages you to get involved -- in whatever way you can. Maybe you'd make a great foster parent. Perhaps you could volunteer to help kids in your community. And if making a donation is more your style, anything you can contribute to the cause will be helpful. Find an organization in your own community that helps kids at risk. Or feel free to make a donation to one of the organizations below.

As of the date of this BOB-BLOG, Feb 18, 2010, Jimmy Wayne is nearly a third of the way through his "Meet Me Halfway" walk from Nashville to Phoenix. 

He crossed the border into Oklahoma Tuesday evening, completing 530 miles of the roughly 17-hundred-mile trip. He says his trek is going well, noting, quote, "Walking through the small towns and farmlands in Tennessee and Arkansas has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have met some incredible and generous people who have offered me meals, a warm and dry place to sleep and companionship." He admits that when he began the journey back on New Year's Day, he didn't have any expectations but had made a few assumptions -- which have been wrong. Wayne explains, quote, "I thought I would be alone, sleeping in a tent at night. But as the saying goes, man makes plans and God laughs. There have been many times I've slept outside, but even more times that because of a kind and generous soul, I have had a roof over my head."

While Jimmy Wayne set out on his own, one supporter quickly donated an RV to provide assistance and security for the singer.

His goal is to raise awareness of the homeless and money for the organizations that help them. JIMMY WAYNE, who spent time as a teenager living on the streets, is particularly interested in drawing attention to the needs of homeless youth and young adults. He explains that many of these people -- like him -- grew up in foster care, and after turning 18 found themselves struggling to make it on their own with no family or other system of support.

If you want to offer your financial support, or want more info, go to his website: http://www.jimmywayne.com.

Thanks, BIG Ed Brady, BOB-FM
PS: Remember to support HAITI too, if possible.  Text HAITI to 52000 and $10 will be added to your phone bill, which will be donated to the Salvation Army's efforts helping Haitians.  God bless you. EB

My favorite times of the week are Weekdays 3-7pm, when I get to host "Drive Time" on BOB-FM... and every Sunday morning when I'm honored to host "Country Gospel" on BOB-106-FM.  Hope you can tune in for both each week.

Very, very early on Sunday mornings, I also have another radio music ministry that God has lovingly given to me.  It's called  "Sonrise with Pastor Ed" and it airs on WLKX "Spirit-95.9-FM" every Sunday morning 6-8am.  This station is just across the hall from BOB-FM, so it's easy to go from one station 6-8am to the next at 8-10am.

God bless you,
Ed Brady
PS: I'm praying that the Vikings "beat" the Saints... and then "WIN" the Super Bowl.  That would be great!

Carl Smith (March 15, 1927 – January 16, 2010) recently died.  He was an American country music singer. Known as "Mister Country," Smith was the former husband of June Carter Cash and Goldie Hill and the drinking companion of Johnny Cash. He was one of country's most successful male artists during the 1950s, with 30 Top 10 hits. His success continued well into the 1970s, when he had a charting single every year except one. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Country Music Hall of Famer -- who was also Carlene Carter's dad and the late June Carter Cash's ex-husband -- passed away at his Franklin, Tennessee home on Saturday at the age of 82. Smith was a prominent member of the country music scene in the 1950s. He arrived in Nashville in 1950, and eventually became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1952 Smith married June Carter, with whom he had a daughter, Carlene Carter, in 1955. Smith and Carter divorced two years later. In September 1957 Smith married singer Goldie Hill. They remained together until she died in 2005.

 Carl Smith celebrated his first chart-topping hit with 1951's "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way." Subsequent hits included "(When You Feel Like You're in Love) Don't Just Stand There," "Just Wait Till I Get You Alone," and "Hey Joe." Throughout the '50s he expanded his media profile to television, and joined Marty Robbins and Webb Pierce in starring in the 1956 film "Buffalo Guns."

He continued recording, touring, and working on television throughout the '60s, although his chart success began to wane. Smith retired from the music business in 1977, turning his attention instead to breeding quarter horses. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003.

Carl Smith is just one of the "Country Classic" artists that you'll hear on "Total Country" BOB-106-FM radio. 

Pray for Carlene Carter (his daughter) and her family during their time of grief. 
God bless you, Ed Brady
 

• "I was just wondering if  here is a dog heaven?" 
• "Is there any particular verse in the Bible stating it?"
   
  There is no BIble verse saying that dogs will be in heaven, but there is no Bible verse saying that there will be no dobs in heaven.  For example, there is a verse in the Bible stating that "there is no marriage" in heaven.  We'll know our spouses, but no marriage there.
  
  Regarding your pet that just died, I believe that God loves all of His creation, and that includes dogs, cats, birds, flowers, fish, lions and lambs, etc. and there is nothing in The Bible that says that these animals have an "eternal soul" like men and women do.  However, there is a Scripture in Isaiah that teaches us that in the "New Jerusalem" - when the heaven and earth that we live in now is gone, Jesus comes back, and with Him comes a "New" heaven and earth, there will be animals enjoying this new heaven.  Read Isaiah here:
   
  "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the goat; and the calf and the young lion and the calf together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:6-9
  
  If all those animals will be there, I believe yours will be too.  God's plan of salvation was for men and women, who are created in the image of God.  However, God clearly loves dogs, cats, birds, etc., right?  God uses animals to teach us unconditional love.  No matter what we do to our dogs, they always come to us with their tail wagging happily, right?
   
  Don't be mad that you didn't go back to see your dog at the time of death.  Many humans 'wait' until they are alone and 'wait' until their loved ones leave the room before they "give up their spirit" and die.  Many people prefer not to die in front of their families.  Your dog was in the loving hands of the Veteranarian, a person whom God has called to care for and comfort pets.
   
  After the thousand year Millennial Reign of Christ, God says, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth..." (Isaiah 65:17),  and then mankind and animals will enjoy a redeemed Earth where they will never have to face death or suffering throughout a never ending Eternity.
  
  "And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:5
  
  Did Christ die for animals?  No, Christ's death was to forgive the sins of men and women.  All who believe in Jesus will be in heaven.  For those who reject Him, God has created a place for people to go who don't want to be with Him and don't want to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
   
  Can animals sin? No, only people have that free will choice.  Can animals accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior?  No, that choice is reserved for people becuase we were created in God's image.  Does that mean that God doesn't love His creatures, like dogs? No.  Your "forever" in heaven would be better if your dog were there, right?  Since Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us (read John 14:1 and following), I believe that your mansion in heaven will have your dog with you because that would increse your heavenly reward... and even dogs (cats, lions, lambs, bears, etc.) will always act correctly and perfectly.  The Bible says that is true, and I offered the "Lion/Lamb" Scripture above to prove that from the Word of God.
   
  And remember Noah...and his many animals!
  Consider the very first covenant established between God and his people, made with Noah right after the flood. The clouds part and the world’s first Rainbow appears. God tells Noah..... "Behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth."  Genesis 9:9-10
  
  God uses pets to help humans learn about love.  From pets, we learn mercy, compassion, patience, and understanding, and we also learn what it means to receive unconditional love.  Our pets offer us companionship, devotion, amusement, and joyful delight. God meant for them to add pleasure and fulfillment to our lives. Animals are one of the "good gifts" God has given to us! 
  
  Need more? Or, does that comfort you during your time of grief?  It's "normal" to feel sad and sorrow and grieve the loss of your pet.  Go ahead and cry.  It's a gift from God to let the pain "out" of you.
   
  When I see you in heaven, make sure you bring your pet over and introduce him/her to me, okay?
   
  Feel free to share my answer with others whom would be comforted. God loves you with unconditional love.
   
  In His Love,
  Pastor Ed Brady
  www.edbradyradio.com  Listen to samples of "Country Gospel" and "Sonrise" on podcasts on my Website.
  www.dothebob.com You can reach me at: ed@dothebob.com
   
   Tune in this Sunday 6-8am for "Sonrise with Pastor Ed' WLKX Spirit-95.9FM, and "Country Gospel" on KLCI BOB-106FM 8-10am... Ministries that God has given me to inspire you and glorify Him by leading people to heaven through Jesus.

When international disasters occur, people might want to go to the disaster area to volunteer. While some non-profit organizations exist to facilitate those efforts, the Minnesota chapter of the American Red Cross said right now, the Haitian Red Cross is taking the lead in responding and they'll let us know if they need more volunteers to physically go to Haiti at this time

They have trained volunteers ready to assist and they're already helping with searching for people and as that transitions they will do more with food and shelter and helping people through this relief effort, and un-trained volunteers may not be needed at this time.  However, later folks will be needed to "re-build" this nation struck by a terrible disaster.

I have friends who are in The Salvation Army, a Christian organization built on serving God by serving others. 

Haiti was once one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Cruise ships regularly stopped at the capital, Port-Au-Prince, allowing visitors to admire the Cathedrals and other sights. Tourists would browse for paintings and hand-crafted sculptures or simply relax on one of the many beautiful beaches. 

In the past 20 years, however, because of political instability or even the cultural practices of things like Voodoo, tourists have 'stayed away' and the resulting effect on the economy has been devastating. Around 80 per cent of the population lives in abject  poverty, almost one in every hundred children won’t make it to adulthood and the average life expectancy is only 47. It is often referred to as the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

I've had the opportunity to vacation in the Dominican Republic, next to Haiti, and it is really, really beautiful there in the Dominican Republic area.  However, Haiti is really run-down, and this earthquake tragedy will likely kill hundreds of thousands of people and cost millions of dollars.  Death estimates are currently 100,000 to 500,000 dead.  See why we need to pray?

When I was leaving the Dominican Republic, a woman offered to "sell" me her baby for $4,000, so that her child could grow up in the United States.  $4,000 is about a year's wages, I believe.  The tour guide warned us not to buy any babies on the way back to the U.S..

In the midst of all the gloom there is good news. The Salvation Army has been working in Haiti since 1950 and continues to have a huge impact on the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. They've been there for 50 years and the people in Haiti love them. One of the programs on Haiti deals with the problem of restaveks – children who have to work as domestic helpers. Sometimes they are referred to simply as slave children.

The Hatian children often come from poor rural families and are literally given to wealthier families with the hope that they will receive care. In return, the child does menial tasks around the house such as sweeping, cleaning and carrying water. Often they are not educated or even allowed to eat with the rest of the family. They are not offered a normal childhood and very seldom are they allowed time off to play and enjoy their young lives. Most slave children are treated with indifference at best and often with extreme cruelty. If they do not work hard enough or misbehave they can be beaten severely. They have no recourse.

The Salvation Army in Port-au-Prince provides 50 such children with a daily break from their dreary existence. They go to the Army clinic, enjoy a meal, learn simple first aid and health fundamentals, make crafts and share in playtime. Since none of these children go to school they also have the opportunity to take part in simple literacy classes.

Using comic books The Salvation Army course content includes information on diarrarhea and oral rehydration, parasites such as worms, hygiene, the growth of a child, vaccination, malaria, coughing and accidents at home and around the house.

After following the first three months of a three-year after-school program, children are awarded a badge and become ‘scouts for health’, making a pledge to share their new knowledge. The older children will also benefit from a 10-week course on HIV/Aids.

During the course the children are encouraged to gain knowledge of how to treat common conditions within their own community. They are taught, for instance, how to prepare a simple oral re-hydration drink and teach others how to prepare it. In the long term, these basic health courses could save many lives, but the emphasis this week is on saving lives that may be hidden under the rubble of fallen buildings.

In many areas of Haiti the problem of Aids orphans is equivalent to that found in Africa, where BOB-FM is active in Ministry and has built 8 Christian Radio Stations. (See http://www.africapublicradio.com for more informatin on our stations.)  The Salvation Army has established a program for Aids orphans. The program involves bringing together orphans in an 'after-school' club. There they receive a healthy meal, followed by help with homework and psycho-social support through games, counselling and advice. This bringing together of children helps them to understand better from each other how to deal with their specific circumstances. It also reduces the sense of isolation and stigma which can sometimes be associated with HIV/Aids.

Another important aspect of the program is the development of skills in agriculture. To that end, The Army has developed vegetable gardens at each center that not only provides nutritious food for the groups but also train them in vital income-generating skills for later life.  All these programs are now in trouble because of the earthquake!

The Salvation Army in Haiti is seizing opportunities to work with the young people of Haiti to build a better future. Now that their country has been hit by a hugh earthquake, The Army has to help folks hit by tragedy, and re-build their own facillities at the same time.  As for me, my money would go to The Salvation Army.  I'm told that we can donate to The Army "in general" to their general fund, or we can specify that our funds, at the time, go to Haiti recovery. 

We all should pray, I believe, and then donate our time, our support and financial donations as the Holy Spirit leads us.

God bless you,
Big Ed Brady
BOB-106-FM