The Clarion Issue

This Clarion Issue is just in time for America's Independence Day. In honor of the 4th of July and all Americans everywhere, I decided to write about "The Star -Spangled Banner," probably one the most significant patriotic symbols in American history. I am referring to the United States' flag that Francis Scott Key most likely saw during the War of 1812, after the Battle of Fort McHenry, that was the inspiration for his famous poem the Star- Spangled Banner. The poem was put to music and would eventually become our National Anthem. Also we want to wish everyone a safe and pleasant HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! The Star-Spangled Banner was born in 1813.The government contracted with it's mother, per se, Mary Pickersgill , a resident flag maker in Baltimore, for an approximate 30 x 42 ft garrison flag for the fort. She was assisted by her 13-year-old daughter, Caroline, and according to one source, two of her nieces, Eliza and Margaret Young. It is quite possible Mary's mother Rebecca Young may have had a part in the birth of the flag as well. At the time the flag was commissioned, the flag had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes.

Due to the size of the flag Mary's house was not large enough to complete it. She requested and received permission from the owner of a nearby beer brewery to use the floor space after hours. There is no word if they were allowed to sample the brew master's favorite recipes. Remember there was no electric light in those days so work had to be done by lanterns and candlelight. The flag was completed and presented to Major George Armistead in August 1813. Apparently it saw normal use for a year or so until it was to earn it's most well known moment.

Most everyone knows Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star- Spangled Banner" and why. What most do not realize is that the large garrison flag was changed from the flag that flew through the night at dawn on that morning after the shelling had ceased. For the most part this should quell rumors of battle damage to the flag.

As we know now Fort McHenry was successful in repelling the British attack and shelling. Eventually Major Armistead would be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and would ultimately be given custody of the flag.

A widow of a veteran that died sometime after the battle that defended the fort asked Major Armistead for a piece of the flag to be buried with her husband. Eventually over the years many more such requests would be granted and the size of the original flag decreased.

In 1873 a canvas backing was added and "The Star -Spangled Banner" was photographed for the first time. In 1907 the Smithsonian Institution borrowed the Flag and placed it on display for all to see.

In 1912 a descendent of Colonel Armistead officially gave the flag to Smithsonian Institution. In 1914 the Smithsonian realized the flag needed to be preserved. Amelia Fowler used her patented flag restoration process and a team of needlewomen took the job. The ladies had to sew a reported approximately 1.7 million small stitches to attach the linen backing to fine mesh. The stitches went through the original flag material. (At least they had the advantage of electricity, but no brewer was around to tempt them with his product.)

Upon completion the flag was placed on display in 1914 in the Arts and Industries Building in a large case. It remained there until 1963 when it was moved to the new Museum of History and Technology (eventually renamed the National Museum of American History) to a specially designed room for the flag to hang. The size of the flag over the years had been reduced to approximately 30 x 34 feet, and now weighs approximately 150 pounds.

Viewing the flag people will see what appears to be a "V". In reality it was to be an "A" that was added by Georgina Armistead and was never completed. The "A" was for the family name.

The years have not been kind to "The Star -Spangled Banner". In 1994 The Smithsonian realized that it was time to preserve the flag once again. The Smithsonian realized it would take a tremendous effort and would be a tedious process. They worked with outside advisors and eventually decided the best way to preserve the National Symbol. The process will involve removing all of those 1.7 million stitches that were added in the 1914 restoration. They will have to be removed one stitch at a time and by hand.

In 1998 the flag was removed from display and carefully examined and documented. The conservation work actually started in June 1999. The estimated completion time for the work was 3 years and was expected to have been completed by the end of the year 2002.

EDITORAL NOTE OF INTEREST TO THE CAMDEN COUNTY AREA: As you read this, please stop and realize that during the War of 1812 British Admiral George Cockburn came to the area and occupied Dungeness on Cumberland Island. He and his forces then proceeded to destroy the small fort at Point Peter. He then moved up river and attacked and shelled St. Marys. The attack on St. Marys reportedly took place two weeks after the war had ended. Admiral Cockburn is the same British officer that attacked and burned the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. St. Marys, Georgia, is truly a historic city and deserves its place in US history!

The Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East and the largest ethnic group in the world without a nation state. The Kurds are an Islamic people living in the northern parts of Iran, Iraq, eastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, and southern Armenia. The area inhabited by the Kurds is commonly known as Kurdistan. The Kurds have their own basic language, Kurdish (an Indo-European language based on Frasi or Persian), their own customs and music, and most are Sunni Muslims. There are an estimated 30 million Kurds living in the 74,000 square miles (191,660 square kilometers) of Kurdistan. About half of the world's 25 million to 30 million Kurds live in Turkey. Six million to 7 million live in Iran, 3.5 million to 4 million live in Iraq, and 1.5 million live in Syria.
Before World War I, Kurdistan was a part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. The Ottoman Turks sided with the Central Powers of the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires during the war. At the end of the war the cartographers cut up the Ottoman Empire at the Treaty of Sevres and created the states of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. However, they failed to create an ethnic national state for the Kurds. As a result the Kurds remained as a minority group scattered inside the Turkish, Arab, and Persian states of the Middle East. Over the last century, several attempts by the Kurds to establish an independent national state have been met with brutality from the countries occupied by the Kurds. At the end of the 1991 Gulf War, the allies and the United Nations (Security Council Resolution 688) established a "no-fly zone" north of the 36-degree (North) parallel. This protected the Kurds from Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi military, and the Kurds created an autonomous area in the section of Iraq above the "no fly zone."
The Kurds of today are faced with several problems and their plight has been elevated by the recent events in Iraq and Turkey. Prior to the recent war with Iraq's Saddam Hussein, President Bush offered the Turkish Government $30 billion in aid and loans for Turkish support during the war and for bases and staging areas for a northern front against Iraq. He also indicated that Turkish forces would be allowed to enter the Kurdish area in northern Iraq to prevent Kurdish nationalism from spreading into the Kurds in Turkey. The Turks failed to yield to the Bush Administration's bribes, but they kept a careful eye on the situation in Northern Iraq. The Turks are fearful of the emergence of an independent Kurdistan in the area and the spread of Kurdish nationalism to the Kurds in Turkey. As Turkey is a major NATO and US ally in the region, the Bush Administration must walk a careful tightrope on the Kurdish issue.

During the war Kurdish forces were responsible for the major ground actions that liberated the two major cities in the are of Kurdistan, Mosul and Kirkuk. Kirkuk is the major center of Kurdish culture and is a major center for the oil industry in Northern Iraq. The oil fields around Kirkuk are the largest in Iran, and the area of Kurdistan is rich in chromium, copper, iron, and coal.

Today the Iraqi Kurds are divided into two political groups. Hoshyar Zebari is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) whose strength is in the western area of Kurdistan. The eastern area of Kurdistan is led by Jalal Talibani and tends to support his party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. According to statements issued after the fall of Baghdad by Abdul Rahman, an important deputy in the KDP, both parties are willing to work together to move the Kurds forward.
While the Kurds are divided politically they are united in three main goals as an ethnic group. First the Kurds want to consolidate their area in northern Iraq, including the oil and mineral rich area around Kirkuk, into a unified politically autonomous area. The Kurds were able to elect a distinct majority on the Kirkuk local council in elections held in the area on May 26th. Secondly, the Kurds want to expel the Iraqi Arabs in the area. These Arabs were brought into the area by Saddam Hussein's regime to increase his control over the oil rich area. Finally, the Kurds ultimately want to create the expanded Kurdish nation state that they felt the European politicians and cartographers (mapmakers) denied them at the end of World War I. This Kurdish State would include parts of Turkey, Iran, and Syria.

While the US disallowed most militias in Iraq after the recent war, the US allowed the Kurds to keep their peshmerga (the Kurdish militia) due to Kurdish and peshmerga help and support during the war. The peshmerga could serve as a training ground for a national Kurdish army that could be used to protect the area from incursions from both Turkey to the northwest of Kurdistan and invasion from the Iraqi Arabs. It could also be used as a tool for ethnic cleansing of the Iraqi Arabs, Turkmen, and Assyrian Christians in the area.

At this point the Iraqi Kurds seen willing to participate in the US led reconstruction of the Iraqi government. They are willing to be a part of the representative democracy as long as the new government remains secular and not in the hands of the radical Shiite clergy or their political allies. They also want to consolidate their autonomy in the northern area of the country, especially around the areas around Kirkuk and Mosul. If the new Iraqi government is amenable to these Kurdish wishes and prove willing to allow the Kurds to maintain their peshmerga, the area of Kurdistan may stay in the new Iraqi federation.

Unfortunately, 60% of the Iraqi population is Shiite. This could be the proverbial match that lights the Iraqi power keg. The radical Shiite population has already taken steps to create the political machinery that would establish an Iranian style Shiite Islamic Republic, a government that is repressive to women and religious minorities, including Sunni Moslems. Should this form of government develop in Iraq, either by revolution or the democratic process, look for the Kurds to break away and attempt to establish their long awaited state. This move would threaten the sovereignty of Turkey, Iran, and Syria as well as Iraq and would probably lead to another major Middle Eastern conflict. This conflict that would prove to be a true dilemma to the United States due to our treaty ties with Turkey and our newfound allies, the Kurds.

Once again the politicians and cartographers at the end of World War I have put the world behind the eight ball. The world can now add Kurdistan to the long list of problems (the Balkans, Palestine, Eastern Europe, and the Franco-German border) left unsettled by the "war to end all wars."

The sports and baseball world was shocked, dazed, and confused on Tuesday June 3, 2003, when Chicago Cubs superstar, Sammy Sosa, was ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for using a corked bat during the first inning. The game occurred at the "friendly confines" of Chicago's Wrigley Field during interleague play.

Sosa's bat had broken when he hit a ground ball to second base scoring a runner on third. The cork embedded in the bat was discovered when umpire crew chief Tim McClelland looked at the broken bat. The run was erased from the scoreboard, the runner Mark Grundzielanek was sent back to third, and Sosa was called out and ejected from the game. The umpires took the bat into their clubhouse and baseball authorities confiscated all of Sosa's bats for inspection. The Cubs won the game 3-2.

In an interview after the game, Sosa apologized to his teammates, the fans, and baseball officials for the incident. He explained that he used the corked bat to entertain fans who show up to watch pre-game batting practice; the corked bat allowed him to hit more homeruns during the pre-game event. He explained that the corked bat was the one he used for batting practice, and he had inadvertently used it during his first at bat.

Many baseball players believe that a corked bat helps them hit the ball farther, and cork does make the bat lighter, which helps generate greater bat speed. Corked bats are against baseball rules.

On June 4th, the day after the broken bat incident, the baseball and sports world broke out with tremendous speculation over the corked bat issue. The TV early morning shows, the sports TV and radio talk shows, and major newspapers all over the nation covered, analyzed, and discussed the issue. CNBC, a major financial network, even had a guest who discussed the financial impact of the incident on Sammy Sosa and Cubs memorabilia. ESPN, the nations major sports network, featured a Florida sports memorabilia salesman who cut open Sammy Sosa's 498th homerun bat, valued at around $9,000, on live TV. The bat was solid.

Even the late night TV comedians got on the bandwagon. Jay Leno introduced the Sammy Sosa wine bottle. The wine was housed in a bat shaped bottle with a cork in the top. Dave Letterman countered with a "top ten" of Sammy Sosa explanations. My favorite was number six; "Hans Blix checked my bat for three months without finding any cork." Of course the number one explanation was, "Pete Rose bet me I wouldn't do it." Major League Baseball checked all 76 bats seized from Sosa and determined that there were no other corked bats in his arsenal. Collectors of baseball memorabilia and the baseball Hall of Fame also x-rayed Sosa's bats and found no cork.
The 2003 season has not been kind to Sosa. He had missed 17 games after surgery on his toe and had hit only six homeruns at the time of the corked bat incident. Sosa, perceived as one of the heroes of baseball, was catapulted to fame during the 1998 homerun race with Mark McGwire. While both men passed Roger Maris' homerun mark of 61, McGwire did it first and won the race hitting 70 homers to Sosa's 66. Sosa is a six time All-Star, and he has hit over 60 homeruns in three seasons from 1998 to 2001. On June 3, 2003 Sosa had hit 505 homeruns, making him 17th on the all time homerun list.

On June 6th' Major League Baseball authorities suspended Sosa for a few games for using a corked bat in a game. For people who believe in Sosa the incident is over. They believe it was a mistake like he indicated on the night of the broken bat. For the skeptics, doubters, and cynics, Sammy Sosa got caught cheating. For Sammy Sosa, all his records and accomplishments will be questioned from now on due to the corked bat incident. To all of us, the events of the early June are proof once again that all heroes and idols have clay feet. It may not be as bad as the "Black Sox" throwing a World Series, but "Say it ain't so, Sammy."

Editor's note: In a unique twist to the corked bat incident, the umpire that ejected Sosa from the game was Tim McClelland, the same umpire that took away Kansas City Royals' George Brett's homerun in the famous "pine tar bat" controversy in 1983. The "pine tar bat" incident involved the infamous New York Yankee manager Billy Martin and resulted in the replaying of several innings of the game later in the season. However, in this incident Cubs manager Dusty Baker did not kick dust on McClelland's shoes.

A man staggers into an emergency room with a concussion, multiple bruises, two black eyes, and a five iron wrapped tightly around his throat.

Naturally, the doctor asks him what happened.

"Well, it was like this", said the man. "I was having a quiet round of golf with my wife, when at a difficult hole, we both sliced our balls into a pasture of cows. We went to look for them, and while I was rooting around noticed one of the cows had something white at its rear end.

I walked over and lifted up the tail, and sure enough, there was a golf ball with my wife's monogram on it - stuck right in the middle of the cow's butt.

That's when I made my big mistake."

"What did you do?" asks the doctor.

"Well, I lifted the cow's tail and yelled to my wife, "Hey, this looks like yours!" I don't remember much after that."

ZEBEDIAH

Zebediah was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers, called pullets, and eight or ten roosters, whose job was to fertilize the eggs. Zeb kept records, and any rooster that didn't perform well went into the soup pot and was replaced. That took an awful lot of Zeb's time; so, Zeb got a set of tiny bells and attached them to his roosters.

Each bell had a different tone so that Zeb could tell, from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report simply by listening to the bells.

Zeb's favorite rooster was old Brewster. A very fine specimen he was, too. But on this particular morning, Zeb noticed that Brewster's bell had not rung at all! Zeb went to investigate. The other roosters were chasing pullets, bells a-ringing! The pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover. BUT, to Zeb's amazement, Brewster had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.

Zeb was so proud of Brewster that he entered him in the county fair where Brewster was an overnight sensation. The judges not only awarded him the No Bell Piece Prize, but also the Pulletsurprise.

Ida Mae passed away and Bubba called 911. The 911-operator told Bubba that she would send someone out right away.
"Where do you live?" asked the operator.
Bubba replied, "At the end of Eucalyptus Drive.
" The operator asked, "Can you spell that for me?"
After a long pause, Bubba said, "How 'bout I drag her over to Oak Street and you pick her up there?"

"A tax cut is really one of the anecdotes to coming out of an economic illness."
Pres. G. W. Bush

The Clarion Issue proudly announces a new featute, "Ask Baghdad Bob." We have lured the famous Iraqi spokesperson away from financially tempting offers from the New York Times, the Clintons, the Republican National Committee, Martha Stewart, and both the FBI and the CIA. Now he can answer the questions you, our loyal readers, send to him at editor@ClarionIssue.com (Re: Ask Baghdad Bob).

Question (from Hank Skipper of Atlanta, Ga.): Is the monkeypox epidemic in the Midwest part of Saddam Hussein's bioterrorism and WMD plan, and why does Allah need monkeys, prairie dogs and Gambian rats to implement his swift and certain justice on us infidels?

Baghdad Bob's reply: There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq! The trucks found concealed in the desert were ice cream trucks used to deliver treats to our children deprived of food and medicine by the American led boycott of Iraq! Finally, Allah does not need monkeys to smite the infidels! Who do you think we are? Hindus worshiping Rama!

SPEAKIN' SOUTHERN, ADDITIONS TO YOUR SOUTHERN VOCABULARY
SOUTHERN PHRASES PART II

"Acting like a field hand at a peanut boil"- He's acting crazy or out of control.

"It's so dry the trees are a bribing the dawgs."- We must be in the middle of a
drought.

"Moeteasa" (Mo/tea/sah)- The southern term for a waiter. They always ask, "mo tea
sah?" ("More tea sir?")

Charlene- "Bubba, how's the peanuts in the nawth forty? Its mighty dry out there."
Bubba- "Charlene, its so dry out there the trees are a bribing the dawgs."

Thelma Lou: "Tommy Ray, How hot is out there?"
Tommy Ray: "The thermometer out at the barn said 102 degrees, and it's in the shade."
Thelma Lou: "Lord Tommy Ray, It's hotter than a goat's butt in a pepper patch."

Assistant Principal: "Mr. Jackson, can't you keep those 7th graders in line?"
Mr. Jones: "I try sir, but it's like trying to herd cats."
Assistant Principal: "You need to try a little harder, Mr. Jones."
Mr. Jones: "Yes sir. By the way, you'd better go back to your office and go to sleep. The
bells fixing to ring and there's gonna be a stampede."
Assistant Principal: "Yea, you're right. I'd better head for cover."

Goober: "Billy Bob, what ya'll think about that there fan violence at them baseball
games up nawth?"
Billy Bob: "What'd you 'pesc (expect) from 'em. Give a Yankee two beers and a
hotdawg and he'll act like a field hand at a peanut boil."

On May 8, 2003, a new flag was raised over the state capital in Atlanta, Georgia. The new flag was designed and passed by the Georgia Legislature in fulfillment of a campaign promise made by Sonny Perdue, the first Republican Governor of Georgia in 130 years, in his 2002 election bid. While many voters wanted the new Governor to bring back the 1956 Georgia flag with its predominate Confederate Battle Emblem, the new flag contains the hint of the Confederacy's "First National Flag" in its blue field and three red, white, and red bars. The Blue field contains the state seal surrounded by thirteen stars, and the words "In God We Trust" is emblazoned on the white bar.

The Perdue banner replaces the infamous Barnes's rag pushed through the legislature by former Democratic Governor Roy Barnes in 2001. This monstrosity deemed the ugliest flag on the North American continent by vexillogoists (flag experts), contained Georgia's very complex seal, at least six colors, 89 stars, and 13 words. Vexillologists pronounced the Barnes's banner very "vexing." The Barnes's banner is cited as one of the major reasons for Barnes's defeat in Georgia's 2002 Gubernatorial election. However, Roy Barnes efforts at removing the Confederate Battle Emblem from the Georgia Flag brought him a Kennedy Center Award. Barnes and former South Carolina Governor David Beasley were honored by the Kennedy Center for their opposition to the official display of the Confederate Battle Emblem, felt by some people to be a major hate symbol, in the Spring of 2003.

In March 2004, Georgians will have a referendum on the flag. The choice will be between the Perdue banner and the despised Barnes's rag. Most people expect the Perdue banner to win, and this writer does not expect Las Vegas odds makers to even give a betting line on the election. While many Georgians wished to see the 1956 flag placed on the ballot, other Georgians feel it is time to move on. I personally would like to see "In God We Trust" excluded from our state flag, not because I don't trust God, but because it is the motto of these United States, not Georgia. I guess I'll just add the words "All Others Pay Cash" under the US motto as my personal protest.

In a day and age when the Great and Sovereign State of Georgia is making the national news by "whites only" proms being held in Johnson and Taylor Counties, perhaps it is time for the state to put the flag issue to rest and move on to more important issues.

The Nation Back to Top

CACTUS THEFT A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE SOUTHWEST

Law enforcement authorities in the arid Southwest are reporting a major rise in the theft of large cacti plants across the region. The "prickly poachers" are reported to be operating on both public and privately owned land in the dry desert regions of Arizona, New Mexico, and southern California. The cacti plants are sold to individuals for landscaping and private gardens in the region.

The major target of the poachers is the Saguaro Cactus, America's tallest cacti plant, which can grow up to 12 meters (almost 15 feet) tall and can live to be over 100 years old. Poachers are reported to receive up to $100 a foot, with bonus payments for each arm on the plant. Many property owners in the area are astounded when they visit their property and find the cacti removed by the thieves who need little more that a shovel, bucket of dirt, some water, and of course, a good sturdy pair of gloves. Saguaro Cacti theft is even a problem in the Saguaro National Park located near Tucson, Arizona. The Saguaro Cactus is the state flower of Arizona.

While authorities admit it is difficult to catch the thieves in the act of snatching the cacti, it is easier to nab the culprits in the act of selling the plants. Various sting operations and local informants have helped authorities capture the thieves as they unload the cacti. Individuals who purchased the cacti illegally often find that the removal process damaged the plant and novice cacti poachers are finding it hard to unload their stolen plants.

Authorities also point to other endangered plants that are being stolen and sold on the black market. The Barrel Cactus of the Mojave Desert, Ginseng root from the Smokey Mountains and several species of Pacific Northwest mushrooms are also threatened by poachers.

In a non-related story, in late April, a Michigan family court ruled that a four-year old boy was too young to ingest peyote, a natural hallucinogenic plant considered sacred by several Native American tribes. The boy's father, a member of the Ottawa-Chippewa Native American Church of the Morning Star, had asked that his son be allowed to participate in the ritual. The judge indicated that the boy could ingest the peyote at a later date when he was fully aware of the implications, was physically and emotionally ready, and had permission of both parents. The boy's mother, who was divorced from his father, had opposed the ritual.

The Native American Church of the Morning Star is reported to have over 300,000 members and is the largest Native American Church.

OREO COOKIES UNDER FIRE IN CALIFORNIA LAWSUIT

Stephen Joseph filed a lawsuit in California's Marin County Superior court against Nabisco, the makers of Oreo cookies. The suit, filed on May 1st of this year, claimed that the longtime favorite snack is harmful due to the artificial fat contained in the black on white cookies.

Joseph claims that the cookies are harmful to children due to the trans fats that are present in the cookies. The trans fats are not labeled on the package along with the other ingredients. Trans fats, used to prepare about 40% of the foods found on grocery store shelves, are found in hydrogenated vegetable oils. While other cookie makers have lowered the amounts of trans fats in their products, Nabisco has not.

The US Food and Drug Administration has been advised that the trans fats contained in the Oreo cookies are dangerous and can lead to heart disease and other trans fat related problems, according to the National Academy of Sciences that advise the government on various health issues. The FDA estimates that about one third of the coronary heart disease and almost one half of heart disease related deaths could be avoided if trans fats were eliminated from the various snack foods that contain the fats.

The US Department of Agriculture indicated that trans fats could also be found in various cookies, crackers and even microwave popcorn. Even the food labeled "low in cholesterol" or "low in saturated fats" may contain the trans fats.

At this time the plaintiffs have dropped the case against Oreo cookies and Nabisco. The plaintiffs indicated that they filled the case to call attention to the trans fats in the cookie and the health concerns created by the tasty snack.

Dr. Steven Hatfill, a physician and biochemist who has been described by Attorney General John Ashcroft as a "person of interest" in the 2001 Anthrax letters, was hit by an FBI surveillance vehicle on May 17, 2003. Hatfill suffered a bruised foot and several cuts and scrapes when one of the FBI surveillance vehicles struck Hatfill when he exited his vehicle in Georgetown, Maryland, to take a photo of the FBI surveillance team which was closely following him and his girlfriend.

The FBI vehicle drove off after striking Hatfill, and when police and paramedics arrived Hatfill, who refused treatment for his injuries, was given a ticket for "walking to create a hazard" which carries a five dollar fine.

In June, authorities drained a "pond of interest" in Frederick, Maryland, where they suspect Hatfill may have dumped some of the evidence from the Anthrax case. The pond is near Fort Detrick where Hatfill was employed and near an apartment complex where Hatfill lived for a while.

Authorities have not been able to link Dr. Hatfill to the Anthrax letters but continue to investigate him as a "person of interest" in the case.

The Clarion Issue also wishes to dispel any rumors that scientists in the area have linked the Anthrax and other biochemical agents in the Frederick pond to the strange appearance of the infamous Frankenstein fish that plagued the area last year. This fish was the Chinese Snakehead that was released or escaped from captivity. The fish actually appears in nature in certain parts of Asia.

Three anti-war (pro-peace to be politically correct) Roman Catholic nuns may receive five to eight years in Federal Prison for staging a pro-peace demonstration against a Minuteman III silo in northeastern Colorado on October 6, 2002. According to authorities, the nuns, dressed in white chemical weapons suits, took a hammer to the missile silo doing about $1000 worth of damage. They then erected a cross that was stained with their own blood.

The nuns were held in jail for more than six months before their trial, but have been released for the time before their sentencing, which will occur on July 25th. They have spent their time traveling around thanking their supporters and even went back to the jail to thank the other prisoners for their support and also for helping knit baby blankets for infants in foster care.

The three nuns, Jackie Hudson (68), Ardeth Platte (66), and Carol Gilbert (55) have close ties to the pro-peace philosophies of Father Phillip Berrigan, whose protest date back to the anti-Vietnam War era. Berrigan, who died last year, was arrested over 100 times and spent a total of 11 years in prison for pro-peace activities. These include a six-month sentence for attacking a battleship in Virginia with a hammer and pouring his blood on it in 1991. His brother, Father Daniel Berrigan, has similar pro-peace philosophies and credentials and continues to lead the pro-peace movements across America.

The three nuns indicated that they were expressing disfavor with the US war policy as the war with Iraq grew closer.

In response to the trial, the verdict and the continued support of countless pro-peace activists Sister Platte said, "It has given us a new energy. It's a spiritual strengthening to know we're not alone."

The Clarion Issue supports these brave sisters in their willingness to stand up for their beliefs and principles although we may not share all of these beliefs. We also appreciate their willingness to suffer the consequences of their activities; after all that is what free speech and civil disobedience is all about. Perhaps Hollywood should take a lesson from these sisters who have dedicated their lives to the service and comfort of others.

Summer movie goers who try dialing God by using the number frequently left on Jim Carrey's pager in the movie "Bruce Almighty" are hearing this, and maybe a few less pleasant responses, when someone actually picks up on the other end on the line. Universal Studios, the makers of the hit movie, used a number that actually exists rather than the typical 555 prefix number often utilized by movie and TV shows. It now appears that several people actually have that phone number, and they receive calls from people who wish to speak to God.

The movie features Carrey as a mortal who is given God-like powers and Morgan Freeman as God.

One individual who has God's phone number is Dawn Jenkins, a glassmaker from Pinellas Park, Florida. According to Park, she receives up to 20 calls per hour from people asking for God. The number also matches the phone bank at a five station Colorado talk-radio network, which should make for some interesting talk show calls and conversations.

If the owners of these phone numbers think the calls are frequent now, they will really be overloaded when the movie is released on video and DVD.

When the Clarion Issue attempted to call God's phone number for a comment, we received a hang up. We then tried the suicide hot line where we were put on hold.

The families of 14 illegal Mexican immigrants have filed a $42 million lawsuit against the United States for the deaths of their loved ones that died due to lack of water while crossing the border in the arid region east of Yuma, Arizona.

According to the lawsuit, the US failed to allow the humanitarian group, Humane Borders, to place water stations in the area. The area is a known crossing point due to the remoteness of the area. It is also treacherous due to the extreme heat and dryness of the area. It takes about five days of heavy walking to cross the mountainous, desert area, and without adequate water, it is almost always deadly.

The original request by Humane Borders was denied due to concerns over the endangered Sonoran pronghorn antelope that inhabits the region. However, on May 24, 2003, one day after the bodies of the immigrants were discovered, Humane Borders was allowed to set up the water stations. The stations are clearly marked with the flag of the organization.

Opinions of the Americans in the Southwest are mixed over the lawsuit and the water stations. Some feel that it is a good idea to provide water for the immigrants. Others feel it will encourage more illegal immigrants to cross at this barren point. One man (alluding to the St. Bernards carrying beer barrels in the Alps) said, "What's next? Chihuahuas carrying barrels of Corona and tacos round their necks." At the time the Clarion Issue's Southwestern reporter filed this story, the lead bull of the local Sonoran pronghorn antelope herd could not be reached for a comment about the water stations.

The Mormon cricket threat has returned to the American West this summer with threatening outbreaks in southwestern Idaho and Elko County in northeastern Nevada.
The crickets not only eat crops and grass, but they also cover the roads where they are run over and smashed by motorists using the roads. The insides of the tremendous number of crickets creates a mush slicker than black ice causing a major danger to individuals on the roads.

The outbreak is so severe that Idaho officials have posted warning signs on the roads and authorized $250,000 to fight the ravenous crickets.

Boise, Idaho, experienced a major cricket invasion over sixty years ago, just before World War II. Old timers in the area are equating this infestation to that devastating event.

The Mormon cricket got its name in the 1848 infestation that destroyed the Mormon's crops in their settlements around Salt Lake City, Utah. The "Mormon cricket" is not really a cricket, but it is a type of shieldbacked katydid that belongs to the grasshopper family. It has a mature grasshopper life expectancy of about 90 days (minus any contact with a passing car or DDT). The eggs are laid in the summer and hatch in the warm soil of summer. A particularly dry year, such as this year, can increase the amount of hatchlings and the number of crickets.

In Utah, the Mormon cricket has been known to eat alfalfa, small grains, seeds, grasses, and vegetable crops. The Mormon crickets can travel a mile in a day and up to 50 miles in a season.

According to one old timer in the Boise area, "I ain't never seen so many grasshoppers. Folks, there's a lot of fish bait out there."

In an unrelated story, regular crickets invaded the fiber-optic cable terminal boxes in a school district north of Fort Worth, Texas, putting a new "bug" in their 5.5 million-dollar project.

When the Northwest Independent School District began testing their new computer system, the network did not work. When experts and technicians were called in they found at least 20 terminal boxes full of crickets. The crickets had then eaten the strands of fiber thus shutting down the 5.5 million-dollar computer system. The crickets were removed and the system restored at the cost of over $64,500.

West Nile Disease and mosquito experts indicate that the dry weather out West will help spread the West Nile virus in the West since the mosquito best adapted to carry the disease from birds to humans is a dry weather mosquito.

Health authorities have reported at least seventy suspected cases of "Monkeypox," a disease related to smallpox (both are orthopoxviruses) in seven states, most of them in the Midwest. The investigation of the illness soon spread to at least fifteen states including Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
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The first four cases were reported and verified in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area on June 9, 2003. Health officials soon discovered cases of the disease in Illinois and Indiana. The next day, June 10th, cases were reported in western Pennsylvania. These cases were the first cases of the disease to appear in the Americas.

The disease was identified in 1971 and appears to originate in Central and West Africa.

The illness is similar to smallpox, but it is much less deadly and contagious. The symptoms include fever, chills, headache, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and a chickenpox type sore. According to health officials there is no vaccine for the monkeypox, but the smallpox vaccination will prevent an infected person from developing monkeypox. Federal authorities recommend that anyone exposed to infected animals receive a smallpox vaccination. Monkeypox does respond to Cidofovir, an antiviral drug used to treat smallpox. The disease is fatal in one to ten percent of the human cases.

Spokespersons for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have traced the origins of the Midwest outbreak to a pet stores selling prairie dogs in the area. The prairie dogs may have been exposed to an infected Gambian rat, another exotic pet, during a shipment to the pet stores. The Gambian rat tested positive for monkeypox antibodies. Monkeypox is usually transmitted to humans through contact with the animal's blood or through a bite. However, it can spread from human to human in some cases. The CDC believes that the spread of the illness was aided by pet swapping, a common practice in some parts of the nation.

At the time of the outbreak of the monkeypox illness, Georgia was the only state that had outlawed the sell of prairie dogs. Soon after the outbreak of monkeypox, the Federal government began to quarantine and prohibit the sale of prairie dogs, Gambian rats, and several other species of small animals.

Historians of the war against smallpox will recall that the first smallpox vaccinations were derived from cowpox. Another animal borne illness similar to smallpox.

The World

LIKE A BULL IN AN ANTIQUE SHOP

Authorities in Lancashire, England, reported that a bull escaped from a slaughter pen on May 26th and made a mad dash into an antique shop where he went on a rampage destroying thousands of pounds worth of valuable antiques.

The bull made his escape early in the morning and darted into the G and B Antique Furnishings shop from the rear service door shortly after it opened for business. According to shop owner, Allen Blackburn, the shop management was able "to contain the situation well. If it had happened three hours later we would probably have had over 1,000 people in the center. As it was we had only just opened, so there was probably only about two dozen people in here at the time." The bull knocked over a woman who was taken to hospital with a bruised shoulder. The woman was later released from the hospital after treatment.

The local police were called to the shop around 11:00. The police and Blackburn isolated the bull in one of the showrooms where police shot and killed the bull about three hours later. A local police spokeswoman indicated, "It was decided the bull did pose a risk to public safety and it was unwise for attempts to be made to capture the animal.

In an NPR (National Public Radio) interview a few days later, Blackburn indicated that after he saw the video tape, made by the store's security cameras, he realized that at times he was only a few feet away from the rampaging bull. He now understands how much danger he was in at the time. Blackburn never indicated whether or not the experience created a desire to go "run with the bulls" at Pamplona, Spain, next July during the Festival of San Fermin.

CHEESE CHASE CANCELED

County officials in England's Gloucestershire County have announced the canceling of the annual county cheese chase, an event that dates back to medieval times in the area, scheduled for early June. The event, which features individuals chasing large rolls of cheese careening down a steep hill, was canceled due to the lack of emergency personnel who typically treat the numerous sprains, pulled muscles and even the occasional broken bone that occurs at this time-honored event.

The British emergency search and rescue organization, RAPID UK, had promised a crew to treat the injured; however, they had to cancel at the last minute in order to help with search and rescue in Algeria after the horrendous 6.8 earthquake on May 21st. According to a RAPID UK spokesperson, "Apparently, it's not just running down a hill, it's almost like jumping off a cliff. People are often breaking arms and legs. The RAPID side was hoisting the bodies up the cliff with their broken limbs."

No one remembers another time when the cheese-rolling event was canceled. During World War II, when cheese was rationed, a wooden model cheese was used with a symbolic mini-cheese attached.

According to Richard Jefferies, one of the organizers of the cheese chase, "It's not very dangerous. People do get injured but usually minor abrasions, the odd broken arm or leg or something... nothing serious. I'm on the committee which organizes it but I've never done it. I've got more sense."

Last year there were only three casualties requiring hospital attention, including a spectator who fainted while watching the event.

Spain has the Pamplona "running of the bulls," the United States has Daytona's Bike Week, and the British have the cheese chase. Can the world handle much more excitement?

ATLANTA'S MUSIC MIDTOWN FESTIVAL
By David S. Pearson

A good ol' fashioned Southern thunderstorm with high winds and heavy rain dampened and delayed but did not stop the 10th Annual Music Midtown. The event was held May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, in downtown Atlanta near the Civic Center on two blocks between Ralph McGill Blvd. and North Ave. There were 101 headline acts, children's entertainment, an art and artist market, traveling music museum displays, a gospel show, and the necessary compliment of food and merchandise venders. The site is excellent, in a conveniently accessed area of Atlanta. It is well organized and is carried on, as the tickets boast, "rain or shine." The event is a premium and exciting opportunity for Rock music fans of all ages.

Atlanta is one of the few cities in the Southeast that could plan and sustain such an event and attract the performers to an eclectic three-day show. If you visit the web site (which you can find by any search engine using "Atlanta Midtown Music Festival") you will see the 101 recording artists who performed and the entire weekend schedule. Just a few of the headliners were The B-52s, Sheryl Crow, LL Cool J, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, The Isley Brothers, Collective Soul, Joe Cocker, Godsmack, Def Lepard and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The event was full, on six major outdoor stages, from 7:00 Friday until 10:30 Sunday.

Tickets were shockingly reasonable, $45 for a weekend pass. There were a variety of large hotels within five blocks (easy walking distance) of the Festival area. The Civic Center MARTA (Atlanta's Mass Transportation Authority) station is just across the street and the North Ave. station is three blocks away. There are three large gates into the festival, and even though you have to empty your pockets and receive at least a visual security search, traffic moves quickly. No coolers are allowed and only disposable cameras are allowed. Tickets are available at the gates.

Inside the event is well marked and stages are spaced fairly well. Food, alcohol, and merchandise venders are plentiful throughout the festival grounds. Stages are far apart, and only occasionally does the sound from one show fade into another performance. There is standing room only at each stage. One should plan to walk and pay typical high festival prices for food and drinks. There are plenty of shady places to rest and relax between shows if you do not mind sitting on the ground. Security and first aid seemed ok. I only saw a few alcohol-related injuries and no really out of hand behavior. I did see a fellow selling mushrooms, and during every show there was some cannabis being passed about.

I began my midtown weekend at 7p.m. on Friday and went straight for the stage where Sheryl Crow and Bob Dylan were to play. I arrived in time to see Cracker do their encore and when the Cracker crowd moved I made my way to the stage. I was proud to have a spot about 40 yards away. Sheryl Crow started promptly at eight, played one song, and the flood began. Heavy lightning occurred and wind driven rain drenched the crowd and the stage. The wind even blew some of the netting off. There was some lightning and the entertainers called a delay after the second song but promised to be right back.

After a delay of a little more than an hour and the removal of some stage equipment, Sheryl Crow returned and played five more songs. The rain soaked equipment that could not be used forced a change for Crow and Dylan's show but both did as well as possible under the circumstances. Dylan did a full hour and a half, all behind a keyboard, and I feel sure the set list was changed due to the unusable equipment. I enjoyed both shows and was able to get closer due to the rain delay that sent the faint-at-heart scrambling for home, hairspray and make-up mirrors. That was Friday, probably the largest wet-t-shirt event in Atlanta this year and the only one featuring Sheryl Crow.

Saturday began as an overcast day. The weather and threat of rain was the main topic until 1:30 when it began to rain. The rain did not slow the event this time since there was no lightning. I had great standing spots close to the stage to see the bands I chose for the afternoon. At four the rain ceased and the sun came out and remained pleasant for the rest of the festival.

I had time to dry and rest before beginning the evening. I chose to see Joe Cocker and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Again I was able to work my way close to the stage just 30 minutes prior to Joe Cocker's opening song. Both entertainers did a great show; although one could tell Joe Cocker was a true entertainer, while Crosby Stills and Nash were more relaxed. If they were not singing you would have thought they were poorly paid stagehands. David Crosby occasionally walked around the stage with his hands in his pockets.

Sunday I was tired and was glad there was no group I planned to fight a crowd to see. I relaxed and soaked in the atmosphere. There were obnoxious teenagers, heavy metal punks, gangstas, and middle-aged professionals all milling about together. They mixed at the beer tents, in the shade, and in front of the stages.

The Atlanta Midtown Music Festival is a great event likely to continue well into the future. If you plan your trip fairly well you can maximize the experience while minimizing the drawbacks. The event web site makes suggestions that are helpful. There is no other place in Georgia where you will see Tony Bennett, Godsmack, and Shaggy all perform on one ticket!

When was the Georgia State seal created?
A. 1776
B. 1799
C. 1806
D. 1848
E. 1879
F. 1914

Answer B
Daniel Surges created the Ga. seal in 1799. He was paid $30 for the design. The Ga. State motto, "Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation," is from Plato's Republic.

The Southern Calendar

AUGUST

Third or Fourth weekend Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Manassas, Va.
Civil War reenactment. Camps,demonstrations ect. www.batlefieldmanassas.org & www.nps.gov/mana/index.htm

SEPTEMBER

Labor Day Kingsland Catfish Festival, Kingsland,Ga.
Small town festival in honor of Catfish. Kingsland, GA. of I-95 just north of the Ga.-Fla. border. Food, Parade, Music, and more. www.kingsbay.net click on festivals

Early Sept. Chevolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond, Va. www.nascar.com

Third weekend Bainbridge Bikefest at Bainbridge, Ga.
Bikes and music………. Bainbridge, Ga. is in Southwest Ga. on Hwy 84.
www.bainbridgegachamber.com click on festivals

Warwick, Ga. Casi Chili and Rib Cookoff www.gritsfest.com or
email vann @gritsfest.com

TO PLACE YOUR TOWN’S EVENT ON THE SOUTHERN CALENDAR
Email the information to: apearson@ClarionIsh.com