Space shuttle Atlantis departed the International Space Station on Monday to return to Earth as quickly as possible, to maximize the amount of time the Pentagon has to shoot down a dying spy satellite. The shuttle must be safely on the ground before a Navy ship fires a missile at the satellite, which is slowly falling out of the sky with its load of toxic fuel. The shootdown is intended to shatter the satellite's fuel tank into fragments, allowing the fuel to dissipate. If the fuel tank isn't blown up, it will plunge to Earth and spew a cloud of fumes that could injure or kill anyone nearby, said Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Cartwright and other officials estimated they have a seven- to eight-day window to bring down the satellite before it would make a final, uncontrolled dive to the Earth's surface in early March. To give the military more flexibility, NASA will take the rare step of opening two runways Wednesday, the day Atlantis is scheduled to come home: the shuttle's normal runway in Florida and a backup landing strip in California. I look forward to seeing the Navy shoot the satellite out of space.  What's going to be your highlight of this week?

Atlantis to race home out of Navy's field of fire

*Blind Date*

After being with his blind date all evening, the man couldn't take another minute with her. Earlier, he had secretly arranged to have a friend call him to the phone so he would have an excuse to leave if something like this happened.

When he returned to the table, he lowered his eyes, put on a grim expression and said, "I have some bad news. My grandfather just died."

"Thank goodness," his date replied. "If yours hadn't, mine would have had to!"

James Dobson is writing a new book:  Bringing up Girls  I look forward to it.  If it's anything like his Bringing up Boys, it'll be great. 

William Tyndale topped King Henry VIII's "Most Wanted" list in 1535 and was pursued across Europe by the king's bounty hunters.

Columbus lab is opened on the ISS

HOUSTON (UPI) -- U.S. and European Space Agency astronauts officially opened the ESA's newly installed Columbus laboratory Tuesday aboard the International Space Station.

Space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 crew and the ISS's Expedition 16 crew members opened the lab's doors at 9:08 a.m. EST and began transferring supplies and equipment into the laboratory. The Columbus module was installed on the ISS at 3:44 p.m. EST Monday during the first of three scheduled spacewalks.

Expedition 16 crew members Leopold Eyharts of the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Peggy Whitson were to have been the first to officially enter Columbus during a ceremonial event. But NASA controllers in Houston said the ceremony was canceled when the space station and shuttle crews worked days ahead of their schedule and began activating systems.

Full activation of the lab isn't expected for approximately two weeks, NASA said.

Following Tuesday's work, STS-122 astronauts Rex Walheim and Hans Schlegel of the ESA were to "camp out" in the station's Quest Airlock to become acclimated for Wednesday's spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 9:35 a.m. EST.

A Fishing Lure

A couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track. All of a sudden, the Game Warden jumped out of the bushes.

Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running through the woods. The Game Warden was hot on his heels.

After about a half mile, the young man stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath, so the Game Warden finally caught up to him.

"Let's see yer fishin' license, Boy!" The Warden gasped.

With that, the boy pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license.

"Well, son,” said the Game Warden. "You must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid license!"

"Yes, sir,” replied the young guy. "But my friend back there, well, he don't have one."

Did They Really Mean That?

The following are actual newspaper headlines:

- March Planned For Next August

- L.A. Voters Approve Urban Renewal by Landslide

- Patient at Death's Door - Doctors Pull Him Through

- Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped

- Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

- Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years

- Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Politics Explained as Cows SOCIALISM You have two cows. You keep one and give one to your neighbor. COMMUNISM You have two cows. The government takes them both and provides you with milk. FASCISM You have two cows. The government takes them and sells you the milk. BUREAUCRACY You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours it down the drain. CAPITALISM You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. CORPORATE You have two cows. You sell one, force the other to produce the milk of four cows, then act surprised when it drops dead. DEMOCRACY You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point that you must sell them both in order to pay the taxes to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow which was a gift from your government.

"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted." - Psalm 25:16

Do you experience loneliness?

The History of Valentine's Day: 
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues.
He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave
their loves or families. As a result, Claudius canceled all marriages and engagements in Rome.  Valentine was a priest at Rome at that time. He and Marius reportedly helped Christians escape from harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. They also performed secret marriages for couples,and for these kind deeds Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He died on February 14, 269 A.D. According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in
love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.

(Don't mistake me for being a Hillary supporter.-lol)  But I thought it would be fun to guess what's she saying.

My guess:  "Bill, you said what?"  What's your guess?  (Keep it clean please!!)
clintspirations - "Where'd you get that OBAMA T-shirt from?"
My_Family_is_my_world "You mean YOU didnt inhale?!?!?! YOU TRICKED ME!!!"
oh_mother_may_I I have that exact one.........Where'd you get yours???????????   Wait I swallowed a bug. 
RaZeHeLL"Where did you find that picture?"
kafekotka  OUCH! YOU"RE STANDING ON MY FOOT!!!
thankee My depends just leaked!
KowpattyThis is my impression of Kermit, the Frog.
bellflower5507 you voted for Obama toooo!!!!!
malaika_09What do you MEAN you heard I had a facelift!?!?!?????
jillcarmel I was the one she was talking to and this is what she said,"oh,Jill; I haven't seen you in ages."
jillcarmel Did you not like my first comment?
bubenun The picture is the moment in which her minds finally snaps and she goes "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers." - Jeremiah 17:21-22 NASB

Is Sunday a special day or is it just like any other day?