The Guild 12-28-2003 It's about life. Make a donation

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[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

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Organ/Tissue Donation

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Organ Donation: It's all about LIFE

There are two essential steps to saving lives through organ donation

1. SHARE YOUR LIFE. Decide to be a donor.

Transplants provide hope for thousands of people with organ failure. In addition, hundreds of thousands more can be helped with tissue transplants. Unfortunately, the need for donors is much greater than the actual number of donors. Your commitment to organ and tissue donation can save lives.

2. SHARE YOUR DECISION. Tell your family.

The most important part of deciding to be a donor is telling your family. Talking about donation doesn't mean talking about death. It is talking about the opportunity to give another person a second chance at life. Even if you have signed a donor card or indicated your wish to donate on your driver's license, you need to tell your family since they will be consulted before donation can take place.

	Important facts about donation:
•	There is no national registry of organ and tissue donors. Even if you have signed something, be sure you have told your family of your wishes as they will be consulted before donation can take place.
•	All major religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider donation the greatest gift.
•	An open casket funeral is possible for organ and tissue donors.
	•	There is no cost to the donor's family or estate for organ and tissue donation. Funeral costs remain the responsibility of the family.
	•	People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.

Organ Donor Card
You can download and print out an organ donor card. But remember, completing this card alone is not enough. You also need to discuss your wishes with your family.

Click to Download PDF version or Download JPEG version

To find out more about organ donation, visit the web site of the Coalition on Donation: www.shareyourlife.org


Bone Marrow Donation: The Living Gift of Life

Marrow transplants are the only hope for survival for many children and adults with leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other fatal blood diseases and cancers. Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of these patients cannot find suitably matched marrow donors within their families. They need to find unrelated marrow donors - people who have volunteered to donate marrow if ever matched with any patient in need. A national registry of marrow donors is maintained by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).

Because tissue types are inherited, and some tissue types are unique to certain racial or ethnic groups, a patient's best chance of finding a match is within his or her ethnic and racial group. Currently, the majority of the volunteers on the NMDP Registry are Caucasian. While all volunteer donors are welcome, there is a critical need for minority donors to help the many minority patients searching the Registry.

You can become a volunteer donor through your local donor center if you are between the ages of 18 and 60 and are in good health. To find out the center closest to you, and to learn more about the donation process, go to the National Marrow Donor Program Web Site (www.marrow.org) or call 1-800-MARROW-2.

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National Foundation for Transplants (800) 489-3863 (901) 684-1697 info@transplants.com ©2003 National Foundation for Transplants

[BigWaveBetty]

More Avenue Q pics.

.

Tartaglia plays new-kid-on-the-avenue Princeton as well as Rod, the closeted Republican investment banker, while D'Abruzzo gives life and voice to the boyfriend-searching Kate Monster and the boyfriend-stealing Lucy T. Slut. Link

No doubt the puppet clinton is caressing is Lucy T. Slut.

[mountaineer]

Mr. Cushing is regarded as ... confidant and companion to many of society's women

Definitely gay. Bunky didn't donate any handbags on that occasion, but gave up two of his favorite feather boas for the cause.

[Timeout]

Have y'all met "The Taters"?

http://www.americanbridge.com/taters.htm
(Turn up your speakers for this one)

[daisyscarlett]

Y'all are moving too fast for me today...I am still ruminating on Chels thinking Hilly is beautiful...haven't even gotten to Bunky and the socialites yet...Oh for the good ole days when Chels was happy to spend New Years at the Renaissance weekend in Hilton Head, now she is dancing on tabletops in bars.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

CLICK HERE
to cast your vote
for Free Republic as
Most Entertaining Right-Wing News
& Commentary

[Timeout]

Hey, Tonk!

Darnit, they have Free Republic paired with Best of the Web...now how's a person supposed to choose between those two?! They're completely different...one's chat, one's satire. FR's pulled way ahead, though!

[mountaineer]

How did I miss this?

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 — Authorities in the Philippines said today that they were deporting two American brothers arrested for suspected links to terrorism. One of the men worked until 2000 for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the laboratory said.

A spokesman for the laboratory, a major nuclear weapons complex near San Francisco, said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was examining whether Michael Ray Stubbs, 55, had access to sensitive information in the course of a decade of work there as heating and air conditioning technician.

Mr. Stubbs was arrested near Manila on Dec. 13, with his brother, Jamil Daoud Mujahid, a 56-year-old convert to Islam, according to American and Philippine officials. The Philippine officials said Mr. Mujahid, also known as James Stubbs, had met with members of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group, as well as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front separatist movement, two groups loosely linked by Philippine officials to Al Qaeda.

Both men denied any wrongdoing when they appeared in handcuffs at a news conference in Manila today, according to The Associated Press. But a Philippine official said the United States government was concerned that Michael Ray Stubbs may have passed sensitive information from Lawrence Livermore to his brother, who might have shared it with the militant groups.

The brothers, both of whom carried tourist visas, are being deported to the United States as "undesirable aliens," the Philippine immigration commissioner, Andrea Domingo, told reporters today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/30/international/asia/30CND-DEPO.html

[Utah Girl]

But Hillary's other favorite style is to wear Ole Crusty was a sweater draped around her neck and it's 90 degrees outside.

[Utah Girl]

And I never thought I'd agree with anything Joe Lockhart has to say, but he really zinged Howard Dean the other day about Howie whining to Terry MacAuliffe about the mean Dems picking on him. Joe said "Who's Howard Dean going to complain to when the Republicans come after him? His mother?"

[mountaineer]

Howie probably was raised by governesses, anyway, so perhaps he'd go running to the servants instead of Mumsy whenever that nasty McAuliffe next hurt his feelings. Speaking of Dem presidential wannabes:

WHICH dashing Democratic presidential candidate used to be infamous for trying to steal other guys' girlfriends? The lusty lawmaker had a habit of doggedly pursuing attractive young women after meeting them at D.C. dinner parties even if they were already spoken for. (PageSix)

New Year's Eve party news:

New Yorker Denise Rich is throwing open her Aspen home, where guests including Natalie Cole, Joan Collins and husband Percy Gibson, Mariah Carey and Shannen Doherty will toast the New Year with Veuve Clicquot. source

But where will Chelz 'n' Ian, and the Clintoons be partying? More to the point, where will Chelsea be doing nasty table dancing?

[BigWaveBetty]

It's been a very good year!

December 31, 2003 -- EVEN if terrorists attack our homeland before the stroke of midnight, 2003 will still have been a year of remarkable progress on every front in the global War on Terror - and the greatest year for freedom since the Soviet Union's collapse.

A decisive government in Washington, backed by the courage and common sense of the American people, worked with allies around the world to carry the fight to the terrorists' home ground. We continued to seize the strategic initiative from the most implacable enemies America has ever faced.

Unless we choose to defeat ourselves, there is no chance of a final terrorist victory.

In 2003, a new generation of enemies learned that America not only fights ferociously, but follows through with tremendous residual power. In one of history's great paradoxes, the provocation of 9/11 - intended to humble us - unleashed our dormant might and rejuvenated the historical trend toward liberty. The Twin Towers fell, but two years later America towers over the world as never before.

The autumn of 2001 saw our initial counterattacks, while 2002 broadened the international struggle and improved our domestic preparedness. But 2003 was our breakthrough year - 12 months of successes that changed the course of history.

Consider just a few of our achievements:

* We deposed and captured one of the world's worst tyrants, liberating 25 million people and demonstrating the inherent weakness of dictatorships.

In doing so, we destroyed a regime that had terrorized its own people and the region. We drew an unmistakable line between America's reinvigorated support for the liberation of the oppressed and "old Europe's" cynical defense of the status quo.

* The stunning campaign that took our troops to Baghdad in just three weeks made it clear to the world that no other state or combination of powers can oppose us militarily and left us with the most experienced, combat-proven forces of our time.

* Our president's courageous decision to target Saddam himself while sparing innocent Iraqis upset the traditional rules of warfare, according to which the draftees die while the ruler survives by signing a peace treaty.

Even though our attempted "decapitation strikes" failed, the message sent to the world's dictators and sponsors of terror had far more force than Western pundits yet realize. And our ultimate, humiliating capture of Saddam left every remaining tyrant worried that he might topple next.

* As a result, Libya has opened its nuclear facilities for inspection, while Iran hastened to strike a no-nukes deal with European governments anxious to save face after their support of Saddam backfired disastrously. North Korea has grown remarkably subdued. Syria treads cautiously. No tyrant wants G.I. Joe as his houseguest.

* Even Saudi Arabia, the great incubator of terror, has become newly cooperative, both because the terrorists - predictably - bit the many hands that fed them and because Riyadh's relative importance has declined precipitously with G.I. Jane in Baghdad.

* We've continued to kill and capture terrorists by the thousands, dismantling their networks, seizing their assets and destroying their bases. Terrorism won't disappear in our lifetimes, but its reach and capabilities have been powerfully reduced.

* Our president had the sound instincts to realize that you can't treat the deep cancer of terrorism with a topical salve. Apprehending terrorists isn't enough. Meaningful treatment of this long-untended disease requires radical surgery and great risk.

Those naive or disingenuous voices insisting that our liberation of Iraq was a diversion from the War on Terror refuse to accept that the problem isn't a few deadly fanatics but a suffocating civilization.

The administration's resolve to force change in the Middle East was as crucial as it was courageous. We can't force Iraqis - or anyone else - to succeed, but we've done what no others have dared: We've given tens of millions of long-oppressed human beings a chance to live in freedom.

Much of this century will be shaped by what they make of that great chance.

* Most vitally for Americans, our government kept our country remarkably safe. Terrorists yearned to strike us massively, to punish us for our successes, while proving that they remain a potent force. Instead, our federal, state and local authorities achieved new, if still imperfect, levels of cooperation and blocked each terrorist attempt to wound us.

Politically motivated critics charge that the War on Terror has been a failure, despite the obvious proof to the contrary: Our enemies have been unable to harm our homeland. And while we will be struck again eventually - no defense is perfect - every day of safety is a victory.

Two Thousand Three was a year that changed the world. For the better. The reverberations will echo for decades.

Not every result will please us. We will not turn broken states into little Americas overnight. Each culture has its own strengths and weaknesses. But we're making a noble effort to help the wretched of the earth make their societies better.

Perfection belongs to God. Progress is the best that humans can do.

Whether facing down Taliban remnants in Afghanistan or shaming the rest of the world into providing more assistance to Africa's struggle against AIDS, we've made an epochal break with the tradition of wealthy states embracing easy short-term solutions instead of engaging long-term problems. Future historians will regard 2003 as one of the dates when history made a great turn, as a global 1776.

Yet 2004 is going to be a year of decision in the War on Terror. As our presidential election approaches, the terrorists remaining at large will sacrifice their last reserves in an effort to dislodge President Bush, freedom's great crusader, from the White House.

The terrorists will seek to convince American voters that the War on Terror is failing, paving the way for the electoral victory of a weakling and allowing them to surge back into vacuums created by an American retreat.

Their last, desperate hope will be to hit us so hard that we elect a coward in place of a hero.

I'm betting on American guts. And glory. Ralph Peters NYPost

[BigWaveBetty]

The dems are so distraught at the thought of Dean becoming their nominee and I'm loving every minute of it!

Democrats appear likely to nominate Howard Dean, rather than someone like Dick Gephardt or Joe Lieberman or Wesley Clark [Clark??!! What a hoot! A freakish creep who couldn't challenge his way out of a wet paper bag. Oh please dems, nominate Clark!] who could present a stronger challenge to President Bush in the general election. In doing so, Democrats are also setting the direction that they want their party to follow -- the extreme left.

But under the arcane nominating rules, [Have there ever been a bigger bunch of babies on the planet (besides actual babies)? Everytime the game doesn't go their way... CHANGE THE RULES! WAAAAHHHHH!] Dean will most likely be the Democratic nominee. Sensing this, Al Gore recently rushed to endorse Dean. In doing so, Gore hoped to imitate Nixon. Nixon knew Goldwater would lose in 1964. But Nixon realized that Goldwater's overall philosophy was a winner, so he supported Goldwater wholeheartedly, hoping to inherit his support in 1968 and with that the presidency. Gore believes that the same will happen to him. [They don't even like Gore anymore! They wanted him for prez so badly, now he's not fit to shine clinton's shoes.]

But Gore is miscalculating. The country is more conservative and grows more so daily. Gore and Dean are out of touch with a majority of Americans with their support for same-sex marriages. In foreign policy, they resemble Neville Chamberlain more so than Harry Truman. And by backing them, the Democrats are consigning themselves to minority status for the long term. Link

That's right dems... enjoy your stay in the recycle bin of history!!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

My dear friend, BigWaveBetty, asked me to explain why I am passionate about organ donation.

First of all, I have always been a donor and encouraged donation. You never know who's life you may save, and heck, you're dead, you aren't using your stuff anyway.

Secondly, you never know if you might need a donation. I live by the motto of: There for the grace of God go I.

Well Guilders, this summer I need a donation. I got the final diagnosis on my eyes and I need at least one new cornea. I had a very bad infection and it spread to both eyes. I have been on an aggressive cycle of steroids and all sorts of junk, and the left eye looks like it will be saved, but the right eye has a huge scar and I will never be able to see through it unless I get a cornea transplant.

So there for the grace of God go I. Someone is going to have to die so that I may see.

So I ask you to please think about giving up your guts when you die, you never know who it might help.

[MaeWest]

HLL, I admire your grace and courage through all of this.

From The Gift of Life Donor Program:

The cornea is the clear "window" in front of the eye, which allows light to enter. Disease or injury may cause it to become cloudy, decreasing vision or causing blindness. The first cornea transplant was performed in 1905. More than 700,000 people have received cornea transplants since 1961. Corneas can be preserved for up to 10 days before transplant. The body does not reject a transplanted cornea. The condition of the donor's vision does not impact donation.

So most of us would qualify as cornea donors - and one last opportunity to truly help someone else.

[MaeWest]

It's been a very good year!

Indeed!
Thanks, BWB. I'm emailing this article to friends and family. What an accurate and uplifting perspective for ringing in the 2004.

[BigWaveBetty]

My pleasure MW.

This will be my new tagline since it bears repeating.

Two Thousand Three was a year that changed the world. For the better. The reverberations will echo for decades.

More feel good stuff!...

Cute Cute Cute! Go here for feel good pictures of U.S. Soldiers and Iraqi Orphans.

[BigWaveBetty]

- - BREAKING - -

JOHN KERRY ARRESTED FOR IMPERSONATING PRINCE VALIANT....

Thanks to My2Cents for the caption!

[Timeout]

Happy New Year!

Hugh Hewitt, in the Weekly Standard, has a really different take on Dean's veep pick...and his campaign strategy.

Hewitt thinks Dean won't wait for the convention, but will announce his running mate in the spring. He thinks Dean will choose Kwiese Infume (or John Lewis?)...go for a big turnout in the black vote. And he thinks Dean will lurch LEFT, not to the center, once he locks up the nomination.

Very interesting take. The WashPost also reports today that

With just one exception, every fundraiser Dean attended outside Vermont in 2002 was organized by gay men and lesbians, as were more than half the events in the first quarter of 2003, according to Dean advisers.

A gay/black coalition? I guess a lot of guilt-ridden white lefties would be attracted to such a cause. But enough to win outside the bastions Dems will win anyway?

[Timeout]

That Kerry photo is really wierd...he looks like Lurch Rambo. I guess that's in keeping with his conflicted campaign!

[Iowa Granny]

Good Morning. I will be so very, very happy when the Caucuses are over. I am just sick to death of these dim wits. They're everywhere. You simply cannot escape news about them on our local radio, newspapers & TV.

I know the Chamber of Commerce loves the money these campaigns are dumping into our economy, but enough is enough!