The World Says Goodbye To A Hero Today

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) --

His passing can be measured in many ways. The sport lost a giant talent who might have won the Triple Crown (he might, in fact, have dominated the Triple Crown; more on that later). It lost a sire whose impact might have been felt for many generations to follow. It lost a champion whose class and bravery -- before and after his injury -- were inspiring and lent a visceral touch to a sport that is rapidly becoming disconnected from human emotions.
His passing, upon further review, is immeasurable.

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his gruesome breakdown at last year's Preakness, ending an eight-month ordeal that prompted an outpouring of support across the country.
A series of ailments -- including laminitis in the left rear hoof, an abscess in the right rear hoof, as well as new laminitis in both front feet -- proved too much for the gallant colt. The horse was put down at 10:30 a.m.
"Certainly, grief is the price we all pay for love," said co-owner Gretchen Jackson at a news conference.
Barbaro battled in his ICU stall for eight months. The 4-year-old colt underwent several procedures and was fitted with fiberglass casts. He spent time in a sling to ease pressure on his legs, had pins inserted and was fitted at the end with an external brace. These were all extraordinary measures for a horse with such injuries.
"Clearly, this was a difficult decision to make," chief surgeon Dr. Dean Richardson. "It hinged on what we said all along, whether or not we thought his quality of life was acceptable. The probable outcome was just so poor."
Richardson, fighting back tears, added: "Barbaro had many, many good days."
Roy and Gretchen Jackson were with Barbaro on Monday morning, with the owners making the decision in consultation with Richardson.
"We just reached a point where it was going to be difficult for him to go on without pain," Roy Jackson said. "It was the right decision, it was the right thing to do. We said all along if there was a situation where it would become more difficult for him then it would be time."
Richardson said he was comfortable the right decision was made and could tell Barbaro was not his usual self early Monday morning.
"He was just a different horse," he said. "You could see he was upset. That was the difference. It was more than we wanted to put him through."
On May 20, Barbaro was rushed to the New Bolton Center, about 30 miles from Philadelphia in Kennett Square, hours after shattering his right hind leg just a few strides into the Preakness Stakes. The bay colt underwent a five-hour operation that fused two joints, recovering from an injury most horses never survive.
"It'd be nice if he's remembered for winning the Kentucky Derby, not for breaking down in the Preakness," said Peter Brette, Barbaro's exercise rider and assistant trainer for Michael Matz.
Barbaro suffered a significant setback over the weekend, and surgery was required to insert two steel pins in a bone -- one of three shattered in the Preakness but now healthy -- to eliminate all weight bearing on the ailing right rear foot.
The leg was on the mend until an abscess began causing discomfort last week. Until then, the major concern was Barbaro's left rear leg, where 80 percent of the hoof had been removed in July when he developed laminitis.
"This horse was a hero," said David Switzer, executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. "His owners went above and beyond the call of duty to save this horse. It's an unfortunate situation, but I think they did the right thing in putting him down."
Brilliant on the race track, Barbaro always will be remembered for his brave fight for survival.
When Barbaro broke down, his right hind leg flared out awkwardly as jockey Edgar Prado jumped off and tried to steady the ailing horse. Race fans at Pimlico wept. Within 24 hours the entire nation seemed to be caught up in a "Barbaro watch."
Well-wishers young and old showed up at the New Bolton Center with cards, flowers, gifts, goodies and even religious medals for the champ, and thousands of e-mails poured into the hospital's Web site just for him.
The biggest gift has been the $1.2 million raised since early June for the Barbaro Fund. The money is put toward needed equipment such as an operating room table, and a raft and sling for the same pool recovery Barbaro used after his surgeries.
"I would say thank you for everything, and all your thoughts and prayers over the last eight months or so," Roy Jackson said to Barbaro's fans.
The Jacksons spent tens of thousands of dollars hoping the best horse they ever owned would recover and be able to live a comfortable life on the farm. The couple, who own about 70 racehorses, broodmares and yearlings, and operate the 190-acre Lael Farm, have been in the horse business for 30 years, and never had a horse like Barbaro.
Foaled and raised at Sanborn Chase at Springmint Farm near Nicholasville, Ky., breeder Bill Sanborn fought back tears Monday as he talked about "the privilege" of working with the colt.
"Everything was looking really, really good, and of course I honestly thought that the horse was going to pull it off," he said. "It just wasn't meant to be. It didn't surprise me that he fought so long. He was a great horse."
Dr. Larry Bramlage, a veterinarian at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, said the horse lived as long as he did because of Richardson's solid decision-making.
"It's kind of like playing a chess game," Bramlage said. "Whenever you get confronted with something different, you have to make the right moves. You have to be impressed with the number of right moves Dr. Richardson made. They got close, and if not for a little bad luck they would have made it."
La Ville Rouge, Barbaro's broodmare, remains pregnant at Mills Ridge Farm in Lexington with a full brother to Barbaro. The foal is expected to be born sometime in the early spring, according to farm spokesperson Kimberly Poulin.
A son of Dynaformer, out of the dam La Ville Rouge, Barbaro started his career on the turf, but Matz knew he would have to try his versatile colt on the dirt. He reasoned that if he had a talented 3-year-old in America, he'd have to find out early if his horse was good enough for the Triple Crown races.
Barbaro was good enough, all right. He won his first three races on turf with authority, including the Laurel Futurity by eight lengths and the Tropical Park Derby by 33/4 lengths.
That's when Matz drew up an unconventional plan for a dirt campaign that spaced out Barbaro's race to keep him fit for the entire Triple Crown, a grueling ordeal of three races in five weeks at varying distances over different tracks.
Barbaro won the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 4, but his dirt debut was inconclusive since it came over a sloppy track. After an eight-week break, an unusually long time between races, Barbaro came back and won the Florida Derby by a half-length over Sharp Humor.
The deal was sealed -- on to the Derby, but not without criticism that Barbaro couldn't win coming off a five-week layoff. After all, it had been 50 years since Needles won the Derby off a similar break. But Matz stuck to his plan.
Not only did Barbaro win the Derby, he demolished what was supposed to be one of the toughest fields in years. The 61/2-length winning margin was the largest since 1946, when Assault won by eight lengths and went on to sweep the Triple Crown.
In Barbaro, Matz truly believed he was training a Triple Crown winner. He often said Barbaro was good enough to be ranked among the greats and join Seattle Slew as the only unbeaten Triple Crown champions.
But two weeks later after the Derby Barbaro took a horrible misstep and one of the most extraordinary attempts to save a thoroughbred was under way.
The injury was considered to be so disastrous that many thought the horse would be euthanized while still at Pimlico Race Track. Instead, Barbaro, who earned $2,302,200 with his six wins in seven starts, was operated on the next day by Richardson.
Though Barbaro endured the complicated five-hour surgery, Richardson called chances for a full recovery a "coin toss."
Afterward, though, things went relatively smoothly. Each day brought more optimism: Barbaro was eyeing the mares, nickering, gobbling up his feed and trying to walk out of his stall. But by mid-July, Richardson's greatest fear became reality -- laminitis struck Barbaro's left hind leg.
Barbaro responded well to treatment, but he began to struggle in January with a serious laminitis setback and this final, fatal turn.

BABY YOU SAVE ME!!!!!!!

Every now and thenI get a little lost
The strings all get tangled
The wires all get crossed
Every now and then
I’m right upon the edge
Danglin’ my toes out over the ledge
I just thank God you’re here

['Cause] when I’m a bullet shot out of a gun
['Cause] when I’m a firecracker comin’ undone
When I’m a fugitive ready to run
All wild-eyed and crazy
No matter where my reckless soul takes me
Baby you save me

It’s hard lovin’ a woman
That’s got a wounded soul
I don’t know how you do it
I’m not sure how you know
The perfect thing to say
To save me from myself
You’re the angel that believes in me
Like nobody elseAnd I thank God you do

Well I know I don’t tell you nearly enough
I couldn’t live one day without your love
When I’m a ship tossed around on the waves
Up on a high wire that’s ready to break
When I’ve had just about all I can take
Baby, you,Baby you save me

Don't Quit!!!!!

Author unknown
(I LOVE this poem thank you Ms Shirley for introducing it to me)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit—
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is odd with its twists and turns,
As everyone sometimes learns.
And many a person turns about
When an individual might have won had he or she stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow—You may succeed with yet another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems
To a faint and faltering woman or man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he or she might have captured the victor's cup;
And one learned too late when the night came down,
How close he or she was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And when you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—It's when things seem worst, you mustn't quit.

Listen Up Men

MONDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Prostate cancer patients who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of dying from their illness, a new study reveals.
The researchers did not, however, find a connection between being obese and developing the disease in the first place.
"Even though we didn't find that obesity increases the risk of developing prostate cancer, we did find that it does actually increase the risk from dying from it, so this study really sheds more light on the obesity connection," said lead author Margaret E. Wright, a research fellow with the division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute.
Reporting in the Feb. 15 issue of Cancer, Wright and her colleagues pointed out that as recently as 2000, almost two-thirds of American men and women were classified as overweight or obese.
Although prior research hadn't uncovered a clear association between obesity and an elevated risk for the onset of prostate cancer, the authors noted that excess weight is clearly linked to risk increases for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic illnesses and many other types of cancer.
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer strikes one in six American men and is the most prevalent form of non-skin cancer in the United States. Risk rises with age, with more than 65 percent of all cases diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
As for risk factors, both genetics and lifestyle choices -- particularly diet and exercise habits-- are thought to play a role.
Focusing on body mass index -- a ratio of weight to height -- as one potential risk factor for the onset and development of prostate cancer, Wright and her colleagues analyzed health questionnaires completed by nearly 288,000 men who were between the ages of 50 and 71 when the study started in 1995.
All the men were members of AARP and were participating in a larger diet and health study initiated by the organization. In the smaller BMI sample, none of the men had been previously diagnosed with cancer, except for non-melanoma skin cancer.
The initial questionnaire -- as well as a subsequent 1996 follow-up completed by almost 173,000 of the participants -- collected information on height, weight, BMI, and the frequency with which patients underwent prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and digital rectal exams (DRE) in the three years prior to the study.
The researchers noted that when the study began, about 29 percent of the men were normal weight, 50 percent were overweight and 21 percent were obese.
Wright and her team found from 1995 to the end of 2000, nearly 10,000 of the men developed prostate cancer. By the end of 2001, 173 of these men had died of the disease.
The study authors found that the risk of death from prostate cancer appeared to increase as BMI increased. Compared to men of normal weight, overweight men had a 25 percent higher risk of dying from the disease. Mildly obese men -- those with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 -- had a 46 percent higher risk. And severely obese men -- those with a BMI of 35 or more -- had double the normal fatality risk.
What's more, the more weight a man gained after age 18, the greater the risk of dying if diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Age, race, family history of prostate cancer, and screening history did not seem to have any impact on the observed link between too much weight and fatality risk.
The authors suggested that theirs was the first study to uncover evidence of the BMI-prostate cancer fatality link.
"This is a large study, and this finding really solidifies prior indications suggesting this association is real," she said. "So while we still need to do more research to find out exactly how this works, I'm not surprised with the connection."
"We have to continue to address the growing prevalence of obesity in this country and others," Wright added, "because obesity is linked to many, many diseases. So we would, of course, definitely recommend that people maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise."
A person who's 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighs 160 pounds has a BMI of 24.3. If that same person weighed 180 pounds, the BMI would be 27.4. It would be 31.9 if that person weighed 210 pounds.
Dr. Philip Arlen, director of the Clinical Research Group in the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology with the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, said he wasn't surprised at the apparent link between obesity and prostate-cancer mortality.
"This adds to observations in a number of different studies that indicate that patients who are in better condition -- thinner, more active, or with a lower BMI -- may have a less aggressive form of cancer and do better than patients who have a sedentary lifestyle," said Arlen. He was not part of the research team.
"There are a lot of factors that may come into play, and BMI may not be predictive in terms of developing prostate cancer," he added. "But it does seem that among patients already diagnosed, those who are physically active and not obese may face a better outcome."

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Restaurant association backs statewide smoking ban
By Julie Goodmanjgoodman@clarionledger.com

The Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association says it will support a bill for a statewide smoking ban, in part, because it would allow smoking in age-restricted bars with closed-off areas. It also would prohibit new municipal bans, helping give all restaurants a level playing field.Given the current national trend — which has communities adopting more and more anti-smoking measures — the head of the association said it is better to look at a statewide bill now than deal with dozens of municipal bans.“Given the current political climate, it’s in our best interest to look at a state ban,” said Mike Cashion, the association’s executive director.The bill was filed by Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, whose committee plans to hold a hearing on the issue. In addition to the smoking ban bill, the Senate also filed legislation that would get rid of state Health Officer Brian Amy and reconstitute the state Board of Health, making his position a cabinet-level job to be filled by the governor. It was filed today just before the chambers prepared to assemble for Gov. Haley Barbour’s State of the State speech.Lawmakers also had a moment of silence today for state Rep. Leonard Morris, who died Friday of complications from kidney surgery.The smoking ban bill would amount to a compromise in which virtually every restaurant would be smoke free, but would have the option of closing off bar areas where customers could light up, Cashion said.There has been a dramatic decrease in revenue in some of the restaurants, especially ones with bars, which have banned smoking, he said.The legislation would prohibit municipalities from creating smoking bans, but existing ones would be grandfathered in. Inconsistencies can give one restaurant in one city an advantage over another in an adjacent city, as smokers opt to go where they can smoke, he said.The legislation also says that if a restaurant owner is following the law, he or she cannot be held responsible if a customer lights up in a smoke-free area.

In Memory Of Martin

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy

Stay Slim; Stay Smart

From Prevention.com
Jan. 2, 2007)--
Excess weight could be sapping your brainpower. French researchers recently measured the body mass index (BMI--a measurement of weight in relation to height) of more than 2,000 middle-aged healthy volunteers and then tested their memory. Slimmer participants (average BMI: 20) could remember 9 of 16 words on the test, while heavier people (BMIs of around 30) could recall only 7 words. When they were retested 5 years later, the heavier group had lost more memory than the slimmer group.

It's The Calories Stupid!

By Tracye Prewitt

I hear a lot of talk about which diet is best. Which diet yields the best results, the fastest; is all the folks at the copier are talking about these days. Coming off of a two week Christmas eating binge has everyone a bit on edge. I listen and what to shout… IT’S THE CALORIES STUPID! I am not one of these people who can deny myself anything and when a diet says you can have a hamburger but you can’t eat the bun I just say PLUHEASE! I have friends who have done The Adkins diet and The South Beach diet and had great results with them but once they go off program the weight magically returns. The one thing I do not like about the Adkins and The South Beach plans is if you ever “cheat” with a roll or a biscuit you have to start all over again. You have to start over from the last rung on that proverbial ladder you are so desperately trying to climb. This seems to me to be a built in FAILURE mechanism. I would think well if I cheat it is all over and I am not going to go through all that again yadda yadda yadda. The newest diet rage with all the diet centers is Glycemic Index Of Foods. Pardon me but what the heck is the Glycemic Index Of Foods and if it is so important why isn’t it on the nutritional labels of food? What is on the nutritional labels of food is Calories.… If you can count, add, and subtract you can count or add up calories eaten in a day and subtract them from a Daily Caloric Goal. This is a simple plan that is easy and effective. Trust me I have gone on a lot of diets before and this one, the low calorie one, has worked the best for me. I have also maintained the weight loss for over a year now. A couple of past diets I have been on were 1) the low fat diet and nothing (well maybe ten pounds) and 2) The Dolly Parton Diet (The Cabbage Diet) and lost a good deal of weight, but the food and the soup EWWWW! I finally wound up on my knees and asked God what do I do and how do I do it… He pointed me to the internet where I found information on low calorie diets. And so the counting began…. The low calorie lifestyle seems to be gaining popularity in medical and fitness circles as well. One benefit of a low calorie diet, besides weight loss, is that it seems to slow the aging process. I lowered my caloric intake from God only knows how many a calories a day to 1000 a day. I chose this number after doing a great deal of research on the web about low calorie diets. I have since found ways to calculate BMI and calories needed to keep the body running at a desired weight (these calculators can be found online; just google BMI and Calorie Calculators). I learned that making myself accountable by keeping a calorie and exercise journal helped a great deal. Write how many calories for each meal per day and chart your miles or reps. I also write poetry, prayers, quotes, scripture, and song lyrics in mine… inspiration is priceless. I also got my rear in off the coach and started walking everyday. On a good day I walk anywhere from 7 to 10 miles and on a normal day I walk around 2 miles. IT’S THE EXERCISE TOO STUPID! You want to lose you HAVE to do the WORK! When you start walking particularly if you are walking in a hilly terrain like I do; start off with around 2 or 3 miles a day and build up from there. Don’t push your body to do things that it simply can not do... listen to your body if you hurt take a day (only one day) off …. Be careful to contact your doctor before you begin a new lifestyle such as a low caloric lifestyle and any strenuous exercise. I am happy to report that with will power that could only come from God himself; I have lost 65 pounds in a year! I recently upped my caloric daily intake to 1200 calories a day because I have reached a desired weight. I know that this is not just a diet but it is a lifestyle change! I will have to control or monitor my calories and my weight for the rest of my life! But with God at my side, like he has been since the beginning, and a loving and supportive family I know I will continue living a healthier lifestyle! If you decide to take a journey like mine; I wish you blessings beyond your greatest expectations! Godspeed!

DIET PILL COMPANIES MUST PAY FOR FALSE CLAIMS

www.newbeauty.com
Posted Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Four major weight-loss marketers have been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to pay millions of dollars in civil penalties for promoting false claims of weight loss and in some cases, reducing the risk of cancer.The settlement comes after an investigation and studies show many of the lofty claims made by the marketers don't hold their weight when it comes to scientific proof.The ads promise weight loss in a bottle -- claims the federal trade commission calls deceptive because they are not supported by scientific research. "Unsubstantiated weight loss claims rake in millions of dollars for the promoters, but they are costing consumers dearly," said FTC Commissioner Deborah Platt Majoras.Majoras announced the agency fined the marketers of Xenadrine, EFX, Cortislim, One-A-Day Weight Smart and Trim Spa a total of $25 million for making what it calls false claims of rapid weight loss and health benefits.The money and assets collected as part of the settlement will be used to reimburse customers who bought the products based on the claims.The products will stay on store shelves -- a move that has some nutritionists worried."I think we need more oversight of these products, we need proof that they are safe, proof they are effective before they can be marketed as such," said weight control specialist, Dr. Louis Arrone.But the way the products are marketed will change.Endorsements by celebrities like Anna Nicole Smith and golfer John Daly are still fair game, as long as what the spokesperson says can be backed up. But the FTC has a warning for consumers."Testimonials from individuals are not a substitute for science, and that is what Americans need to understand," said Majoras. Instead, the FTC said exercising and a change in eating habits is the best way to melt away those unwanted pounds.From: nbc5.comImage Source: Dennis Cook/AP

Quick Fix?????????

Lose half a pound a week with vinegar
www.newbeauty.com
Posted Monday, December 25, 2006
We’re willing to try just about anything in an effort to shed those extra holiday pounds, so a few of us decided to make a New Year’s Resolution and take two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before lunch and dinner. A recent Arizona State University study found that consuming two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before lunch and dinner can help non-dieters lose, on average, half a pound per week. The acetic acid found in vinegar reduces the activity of enzymes used in carbohydrate digestion, in turn allowing fewer calories from the starches to be absorbed by the body. The study also revealed that a serving of vinegar before a meal can reduce post-eating blood sugar increases by 36 to 81%, making you feel more satiated and less likely to continue on with dessert.
Tags: carbohydrates, weight loss

Some People Change

as sung by Montgomery Gentry

His old man was a rebel yeller:
Bad boy to the bone.
He'd say: "Can't trust that other fella,"
He'd judge 'em by the tone of their skin.
He was raised to think like his Dad:
Narrow mind full of hate.
On the road to no-where fast,
Till the Grace of God got in the way.
Then he saw the Light an' hit his knees an' cried an' said a prayer:
Rose up a brand new man; left the old one right there.
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don't give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
She was born with her mother's habit:
You could say: "It's in her blood."
She hates that she's gotta have it:
As she fills her glass up.
An she'd love to kill that bottle,
But all she can think about,
Is a, a better life, a second chance,
An' everyone she's letting down.
She throws that bottle down.
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don't give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
Thank God for those who make it:
Let them be the Light. (Let them be the light)
(Some people change.)
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don't give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
Some people change.(Some people change)

Thanks be to God for giving those who do change the courage and the will to do so! With God ALL things are possible..... ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!! Thank you God for helping me change my body and my life! Help me find the courage to keep trying to change for the betterment of my family, my world, and myself!

He's Everything

inspired by Brad Paisley's "She's Everything"

He's an old pair of running shoes
A holey pair of jeans
He looks great in cheap sunglasses
He looks great in anything
He's a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms
Take me to a movie
He’s let’s curl up on the sofa with football game a blaring
And every now and then he gets a little moody
He's a MG with the top down
With his brown hair a-blowing
He's a soft place to land
And a good feeling knowing
He's a warm conversation
That I wouldn't miss for nothing
He's a fighter when he's mad
And he's a lover when he's loving

[Chorus]
And He's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I talk about him, I go on and on and on
'Cause he's everything to me

He's a Saturday out on the town
And a church boy on Sunday
He's a cross in his wallet
And a cuss word 'cause its Monday
He's a long hot steamy shower
Baby come and kiss me
He's a tall glass of water
That always leaves me tipsy

He's the giver I wish I could be
And the stealer of the covers
He's a picture in my wallet
Of my children's father
He's the hand that I'm holding
When I'm on my knees and praying
He's the answer to my prayer
And he's the song that I'm playing

[Repeat chorus]

He's the voice I love to hear
Someday when I'm ninety
He's that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me
Everyday that passes
I only love him more
Yeah, he's the one
That I'd lay down my own life for
And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
He's everything to me
Yeah he's everything to me
Everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
He's everything to me

WE ARE THE CHOMPIONS!!!!!!!!

DO THE GATOR CHOMP

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

SECOND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

IN 100 YEARS!!!!!!!!!

GO GATORS!!!!!!!

USC kicker found at bottom of cliff outside L.A.

Keep this Trojan and his family in your thoughts and prayers!

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Foul play probably was not a factor in the death of Southern California kicker Mario Danelo, whose body was found about 120 feet down a rocky cliff, police said Sunday.
"It was fairly apparent that this was either an accident or suicide," said Lt. Paul Vernon.
Danelo's brother said Sunday that "it was an unfortunate accident."
"He was a good kid," Joey Danelo said during a phone interview with The Associated Press. "There was not a person I know that didn't like him."
Investigators were examining evidence recovered after Danelo's body was found Saturday afternoon near Point Fermin lighthouse in the city's San Pedro section.
While police have not completely ruled out foul play, Vernon said "there didn't appear to be a crime involved." An autopsy could be performed as early as Monday, coroner's officials said.
Someone flying a remote-control airplane noticed something at the bottom of the cliff Saturday and a friend hiked down to the beach and discovered the body, police officials said.
Investigators were looking into whether Danelo was out with friends Friday night. He was last seen around midnight, authorities said.
A makeshift memorial was placed near the top of the steep cliff where Danelo fell. A flag bearing the USC logo was spread out, surrounded by flowers and candles and a message reading "Rest in Peace Danelo" spraypainted on the ground.
Nearby, a sign warned: "Danger Do Not Enter Unstable and Slippery Surfaces Steep Drops."
Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said investigators did not find a surf board, scuba-diving tanks or anything else to indicate Danelo might have been down there for any of the recreational activities common to the area.
Humphrey said over the years a handful of people had fallen from the cliff.
"It's entirely possible that he fell," Humphrey said.
Danelo, the 21-year-old son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo, made 15 of 16 field goals this season and led the Trojans in scoring with 89 points. The junior made two field goals in the Rose Bowl on Monday to help USC beat Michigan 32-18.
He only missed two field goals in his career, going 26-for-28, and was 127-of-134 on extra points. In 2005, he set NCAA single-season records with 83 extra points and 86 attempts.
Speaking on behalf of Trojans coach Pete Carroll, USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said: "We were stunned to hear about this tragedy. This is a great loss. Mario was a wonderful young man of high character.
"He was one heck of a kicker. He was a key ingredient in our success the past two years. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Trojan family go out to the Danelo family on this sad, sad day."
USC linebacker Dallas Sartz said Danelo would be remembered for his upbeat personality and dependable kicking.
"I just remember Mario was the guy who always had a smile on his face and would always cheer you up," said Sartz, a team captain.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Low Calorie/Low Fat Congealed Salad

Mah's Holiday Green Salad

2 sugar free lime jello package (smaller size)
2 sugar free lemon jello package (smaller size)
1 large can crushed pineapple (in its own juice/no sugar added)
Drain pineapple into measuring cup add water to make 1 cup liquid
1 large can fat free/skim carnation/pet milk
1/2 cup pecans
1 package fat free or low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup Kraft free mayo

Bring water pineapple juice mixture to boiling remove from heat and pour over jello in large mixing bowl. Mix jello until dissolved ... let cool. Add next 5 ingrediants to jello and mix well. Pour into molds or casserole and congeal overnight.

This is a dish we have every Christmas ... it is light and if you make it according to my instruction it is not as guilty as some snacks you can make! It is actually good for you with the fruit, nuts, and dairy products and no added sugars. I hope you enough this as much as I do!

CARING FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES! THAT IS WHAT BREED RESCUE IS FOR!

PLEASE WATCH THESE VIDEOS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxKEuq0RVsU&NR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFPf8rCR9xI&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi9UVasWxzw&mode=related&search=


JUST ONE WAY TO HELP!

http://www.basenjirescue.org/

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2006 Dieting News Review

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Order from a menu of vegetables, fish, wine and chocolate, but hold the trans fats and sugary sodas. That might best sum up the diet headlines of 2006.
The year's biggest nutrition news sometimes echoed what moms and food scientists have been harping on for years. Other times, it seemed too good to be true.
Often, the news centered on food choices many want removed from the table, but in a year that included white-bread icon Wonder Bread baking two whole-wheat versions, there were still plenty of healthy options available.
The year started out sweet -- more data suggesting dark chocolate might be good for the heart -- and ended with trans fats grabbing big headlines -- New York City became the first in the nation to ban these unhealthy fats in restaurant food.
Chocolate, and a grain of salt
Although moms say save dessert for last, chocolate news deserves the first look. It made lots of mouths water, but nutrition experts say it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
A study published in February found lower blood pressure and lower risk of death in older Dutch men who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar daily. And research later in the year found improved blood flow in adults who drank flavanol-enriched cocoa. Flavanols are compounds also found in red wine that researchers believe help keep blood vessels healthy.
The two studies build on previous suggestions that chocolate, especially the dark variety, might be good for the heart. But the research is not conclusive and scientists still don't know if there really is a connection.
"Certainly nobody should start eating chocolate because they think chocolate is good for their heart," said Tufts University nutrition professor Alice Lichtenstein. "At this point we don't know."
Same goes for red wine.
In November, a headline-grabbing study found that huge doses of a red wine extract called resveratrol seemed to help obese mice live longer, healthier lives. Some scientists think the ingredient, found in grape skin, is one reason French people have less heart disease than Americans.
But no one knows whether resveratrol would benefit humans the way it did mice, and it would take enormous amounts of red wine to equal the dose used in the experiment.
Better living through fatty fish
A safer approach would be choosing foods with more proven benefits, including fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, especially oily kinds that include salmon and tuna, at least twice a week. They contain omega-3 fatty acids that can make blood less likely to form clots that cause heart attacks.
A study published in July said diets high in fatty fish might also reduce risks for a major cause of age-related vision loss.
The Institute of Medicine weighed in, declaring in October that benefits from eating seafood twice a week outweigh risks of mercury exposure. Children and pregnant women, however, are still urged to avoid big predators such as shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel, which have higher mercury levels.
Research in April said a heart-healthy Mediterranean-style diet heavy on fish instead of meat, along with lots of vegetables and grains, appeared to protect against Alzheimer's disease.
More brain-boosting news came in October when researchers reported that eating lots of vegetables appeared to help slow the mental decline sometimes associated with aging.
The best were spinach, kale and collards, which contain vitamin E, an antioxidant believed to help fight cell-damaging chemicals.
What not to eat -- and drink -- got lots of attention in 2006.
Several reports said sugary sodas are a major cause of obesity, and in May beverage companies agreed to stop selling non-diet fizzy drinks in U.S. schools.
As New York's board of health moved toward its decision in December to ban artificial trans fats from restaurant food, some fast food operators made the move in advance.
And the heart association became the first major health group to recommend specific dietary limits for the fat. Trans fats, found in many cookies, crackers and fried foods, raise levels of LDL cholesterol, the bad kind that contributes to heart disease.
Health experts said they hoped other cities would follow New York's lead -- and also adopt the city's plan to require restaurants to list calories on menus.
"That will have an even greater impact on the nutritional health of our population than just the trans-fat ban," said Dr. Robert Kushner, medical director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's weight management program in Chicago, Illinois.
"That will hopefully start to chip away at the increasing prevalence of obesity ... the story that never goes away," Kushner said.

Dieting Funnies...

I think we all need a little comic relief after the bingeing over the holidays! We need to take a good hard look at the scales and get back up on that horse that threw us but first have a good belly laugh on me!!!!! I hope your holidays were filled with love, laughter, and all the good memories your heart could could hold!

It Is Time To Take Off That Holiday Weight !!!!!!

Top Five Ways to Feel Full and Eat Less
Author:
Eric Sabo
Medically Reviewed On: August 31, 2005

It's a common complaint: how can you lose weight if you're hungry all the time? The solution may be easier than you think. Many acts of overeating, in fact, may have less to do with appetite than the sheer amount of food we have on our plate, says Dr. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition expert at Penn State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan.
If we "super-size" our meals, it only stands to reason we would want to get our money's worth by cleaning our plates. But this is not how our bodies are meant to work. "Big meals override the cues that tell us we are full and should stop eating," says Rolls, who has seen this time and time again in various studies. "It's quite strange."
Food packaging and commercials may suggest cravings that are not really there; plus there's depression, anxiety and other outside influences that cause us to eat when we're not really hungry. Of course, a healthy appetite can make it hard to lose weight, especially if your stomach is grumbling because you've cut back on calories to shed a few pounds.
So rather than just eating less, Rolls and others say, there are ways to feel full without giving up all that much. For hunger pains that don't go away—real or imagined—here's what the latest studies suggest:
Super-size filling foodsFruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and fiber, which can quickly fill you up. Better yet, they are low in calories. Ross suggests super-sizing these foods much like you would fast food. "Rather than cutting back, just eat more fruits and vegetables instead," she says.
Try a variety to a keep your diet interesting. Corn or strawberries may prove more appealing than Brussels sprouts or grapefruit for some, so don't give up on all of these foods if you don't care for a few.
Eat your protein A high-protein, low-carb diet is believed to be unhealthy over the long term, but the latest diet craze has helped reveal a little-appreciated detail: protein-rich foods are possibly more filling. In a recent study, Dr. David Weigle of the University of Washington School of Medicine followed 19 people who kept to a 2,000-calorie diet for several months.
At first, they got 15 percent of calories from protein. Then they upped their protein to 30 percent. The men and women ate the same percentage of carbohydrates throughout, while cutting back on fats. Compared to the weeks they ate less protein, volunteers reported feeling more full when they ate 30 percent of their calories from protein. They also lost more weight.
No one has studied whether a juicy steak is more filling than fruits and vegetables, at least calorie by calorie, says Rolls. But as long as the protein is lean, she says that including such foods in your diet may help you eat less and lose weight.
Limit fatty foods, can the sodaCakes and other fatty foods pack a lot of calories without adding much substance. A recent study on mice found that high-fat diets seem to override a hormone that tells the body when it's full. Foods laden with sugar and fat may taste good, but they do little to fill you up.
Indeed, researchers at Tufts University found that nearly two-thirds of adults got more calories from soft drinks than any other specific food. As a whole, they were also more obese than those who stuck to fruit juice and low-fat milk.
Snack "smart" A little snacking may not only keep your hunger in-check between meals, but may also leave you less tempted to overeat at dinner. Indeed, some research suggests that snacking throughout the day instead of sitting down for regular meals may lead to greater weight loss.
Keep in mind that this does not apply to what we think of as traditional snacks, such as cookies or chips. Nibbling on nuts or cheese, which are high in protein, may leave you fuller than snacking on foods that are high in carbohydrates or calories. To make sure snacking doesn't become just another big meal, try picking out different foods that are low in calories and keep them handy for when hunger strikes. (my mid afternoon snack consists of an Apple (80 calories))
Eat until you're hara hachi bu Translated from Japanese, this literally means "eat until you're 80 percent full." Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa, who are among the oldest and healthiest people on the planet, have perfected this practice over the years.
In general, Okinawans eat 10 percent to 40 percent fewer calories than Americans. Try eating until you feel mostly full, then wait 20 minutes. Research suggests that many people are satisfied after following the 80 percent rule, even though they eat less.

International Foods for Your Diet in 2007

Watching what you eat—instead of what you don't eat—is a key factor in any weight-loss regimen.
If you're thinking about changing your diet this year, try a few international foods for a healthy alternative.
Thanks to growing interest in international cuisines, it’s never been easier to locate the ingredients you need to prepare healthy foods of other cultures in your own kitchen.Take a look at just a few easily obtained international foods and the benefits they offer. For more information on diet, nutrition and general health, visit The Bellsouth Health Channel on a regular basis for the latest medical news.

Olive Oil (Spain)Spain makes more than 40 percent of the world’s supply of olive oil, although until recently, the majority was sold and packaged outside its borders (the Italian olive oil you’re using might actually be from Spain).
Why try it? Antioxidant-rich olive oil protects against heart disease by controlling LDL, or bad cholesterol levels, while raising HDL, or good cholesterol. It also may help fight breast and colon cancers.
Soy (Japan)Protein-packed soy is linked to the prevention of cancer and osteoporosis.
Soybeans, first grown in tropical Asia thousands of years ago, are used in everything in Japan from soy sauce (as ubiquitous as ketchup) to vegetable oil, tofu, and the fermented soybean paste called miso.
Why try it? Protein-packed soy is high in isoflavones, estrogen-like substances linked to the prevention of cancer and osteoporosis. But its biggest draw may be the dozens of studies showing that soy is good for your heart; the FDA even allows certain soy products (with at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving) to have a heart-healthy claim on their labels. Plus, some studies have shown that a diet rich in soy can reduce breast-cancer risk.
Lentils (India)Lentils give you protein, cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, and lots of iron.
Lentils are to India what meatloaf is to America: the quintessential comfort food. Ranging from yellow and red to deep black, these tiny disc-shaped members of the legume family are eaten in some form at least twice a day.India is the world’s biggest producer and consumer of lentils. Known as dal, lentils typically are served at every meal with steamed rice or bread.
Why try them? This “superfood” gives you protein and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, as well as about twice as much iron as other legumes. And lentils are higher in most B vitamins and folate, which is especially important for women of childbearing age because folate reduces the risk of birth defects.
Yogurt (Greece)Among yogurt's benefits: enhanced immunity and improved lactose intolerance.
Many think of yogurt as just a sweet snack. But the thick, creamy, rich kind that’s traditional in Greece has been integral to Grecians’ healthy diet for thousands of years.
Why try it? Yogurt promotes intestinal and vaginal health, improves lactose intolerance, enhances immunity, lowers blood pressure, and may even have anticancer and weight-loss effects. In a recent study in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers found that obese adults who ate 3 servings of fat-free yogurt a day as part of a reduced-calorie diet lost 22 percent more weight and 61 percent more body fat than those who just cut calories. Another plus for Greek yogurt, in particular, is that it doesn’t give you the sugar overload of what you usually find in U.S. grocery stores. To save on fat and calories, reach for a low-fat version.

The Obituary Of A Dictator

SADDAM 1937-2006
From FoxNews.com

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Within days of taking power, Saddam Hussein summoned about 400 top officials and announced he had uncovered a plot against the ruling party. The conspirators, he said, were in that very room.
As the 42-year-old Saddam coolly puffed on a cigar, names of the plotters were read out. As each name was called, secret police led them away. Some of the bewildered men cried out "long live Saddam Hussein" in a futile display of loyalty.
Twenty-two of them were executed. To make sure Iraqis got the word, Saddam videotaped the entire proceeding and distributed copies across the country.
The plot claim was a lie. But in a few terrifying minutes on July 22, 1979, Saddam eliminated his potential rivals, consolidating the power he wielded until the Americans and their allies drove him from office a generation later.
Saddam, who was hanged Saturday at age 69, ruled Iraq with singular ruthlessness. No one was safe. His two sons-in-law were killed on Saddam's orders after they defected to Jordan but returned in 1996 after receiving guarantees of safety.
Such brutality kept him in power through war with Iran, defeat in Kuwait, rebellions by northern Kurds and southern Shiite Muslims, international sanctions, plots and conspiracies.
In the end, however, brutality was his undoing. Trusting few except kin, Saddam surrounded himself with sycophants, selected for loyalty rather than intellect and ability.
And when he was forced out in April 2003, he left a country impoverished — despite vast oil wealth — and roiling with long suppressed ethnic and sectarian hatred.
On his rare public appearances, crowds would greet him with chants of "we sacrifice our blood and souls for you Saddam." But gradually, he became isolated from the Iraqi people, within a diminished circle of trusted advisers drawn mostly from his close family or his clan.
He ended up dragged from a hole by American soldiers in December 2001, bearded, disheveled and with his arms in the air. The pistol he kept to fight to the end was never fired.
Image and illusion were important tools for Saddam.
He sought to build an image as an all-wise, all-powerful champion of the Arab nation. His model was the great 12th century warrior Saladin, who captured Jerusalem from the Crusaders and, coincidentally, was born like Saddam in the Tikrit area of northern Iraq.
Yet his style was closer to an Iraqi clan chief, doling out favors in return for absolute loyalty while dealing harshly with anyone who questioned his authority.
He promoted the illusion of a powerful Iraq — with the world's fourth largest army and weapons of terrible destruction.
Yet it was all hollow. His army crumbled in weeks when confronted by the Americans and their allies in Kuwait in 1991.
And in 2003, his capital — the vaunted regime fortress supposedly ringed by steel with inhabitants eager to sacrifice themselves in its defense — fell to a single U.S. brigade task force.
Saddam's weapons of mass destruction proved a bluff to keep the Iranians, the Syrians, the Israelis — and the Americans — at bay. His own scientists didn't have the nerve to tell him that his dreams of weaponry were beyond the country's industrial capability.
Instead, Saddam squandered vast sums on opulent palaces with marble hallways, plush carpeting, expensive antique furniture.
All of that was a universe from the harsh poverty into which Saddam was born on April 28, 1937, in the village of Ouja near Tikrit. His father, a landless shepherd, died or disappeared before he was born. His stepfather, Ibrahim al-Hassan, treated Saddam harshly.
The young Saddam ran away as a boy and lived with his maternal uncle, Khairallah Talfah, a stridently anti-British, anti-Semitic man whose daughter, Sajida, would become Saddam's wife years later.
Under his uncle's influence, Saddam joined the Baath Party, a radical, secular Arab nationalist organization, at age 20. A year later, he fled to Egypt after taking part in an attempt to assassinate the country's ruler, Gen. Abdul-Karim Qassim, and was sentenced to death in absentia.
Saddam returned four years later after Qassim was overthrown by the Baath. But the Baath leadership was itself ousted within eight months and Saddam was imprisoned. He escaped in 1967 and took charge of the underground Baath party's secret internal security organization.
He swore he would never tolerate the internal dissent that he blamed for the party losing power.
In July 1968, Baath returned to power under the leadership of Gen. Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, who appointed Saddam, his cousin, as his deputy. Saddam systematically purged key party figures, deported thousands of Shiites of Iranian origin, supervised the state takeover of Iraq's oil industry, land reform and modernization — becoming the real power behind al-Bakr.
Al-Bakr decided in 1979 to seek unity with neighboring Syria, which was also under Baath party rule. Syria's president would become al-Bakr's deputy, and Saddam would be marginalized. Saddam forced his cousin to resign — and then purged his rivals in a party meeting six days later. Hundreds of others in the party and army were executed in the months that followed.
Saddam then turned his attention to the country's Shiite majority, whose clerical leaders had long opposed his secular policies. Saddam's fears of a Shiite challenge rose after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power in Shiite-dominated Iran in 1979.
On Sept. 22, 1980, Iraqi troops crossed the Iranian border, launching a war that would last eight years, cost hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides and devastated Saddam's plans to transform Iraq into a developed, prosperous country.
In the longest conventional war of the 20th century, the two countries fired missiles at each other's cities, Iran sent waves of youngsters to death on the front lines, and Iraqi warplanes bombed Iranian schools and even a jetliner unloading passengers at an Iranian airport.
In launching his war, Saddam evoked the memory of the 7th century Battle of Qadisiyyah, when Arab armies decisively defeated the Persians, opening what is now Iran to the Muslim faith. The 1980s war became known as "Saddam's Qadisiyyah," and for years after the conflict ended in stalemate, Iraqi currency still carried scenes from the ancient battle — along with Saddam's image.
After the Iranians counterattacked, Saddam turned to the United States, France and Britain for weapons, which those countries gladly sold him to prevent an outright Iranian victory. They turned a blind eye when Saddam ruthlessly struck against Iraqi Kurds, who lived in the border area and were dealing secretly with the Iranians.
An estimated 5,000 Kurds died in a chemical weapons attack on the town of Halabja in March 1988. The United States suggested at the time that the Iranians may have been responsible.
Only two years after making peace with Iran, Saddam invaded Kuwait, whose rulers had refused to forgive Iraq's war debt and opposed increases in oil prices that Iraq desperately needed to recover from the conflict with Iran.
Iraqi nationalists had never accepted the existence of an independent Kuwait, which they believed was established by British imperialism. Kuwait was annexed as the 19th province of Iraq.
The United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Iraq and a U.S.-led coalition attacked. "The great duel, the mother of all battles, has begun. The dawn of victory nears as this great showdown begins," Saddam said on Iraqi radio on Jan. 17, 1991.
But the Iraqis were driven out of Kuwait. The 1991 war triggered uprisings among Iraq's Shiites, brutally crushed by Saddam, and the Kurds, who carved out a self-ruled area under U.S. and British air cover.
Saddam boasted his survival was proof Iraq had won its war against America, a message that won him stature among many Arabs. But the sanctions were not lifted because the United States accused Saddam of retaining weapons of mass destruction.
His brutality was starkly illustrated when the defecting sons-in-law were killed. Their widows, however, forgave him. "He was a very good father, loving, has a big heart," Raghad Saddam Hussein told CNN in August 2003 while Saddam was on the run from U.S. forces. "He had so many feelings and he was very tender with all of us," Rana Hussein said in the same interview.
Saddam also sought to be a force in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In April 1990, hinting he had secret super-weapons, he declared: "By God, we will make the fire eat up half of Israel." During the Gulf War he fired Scud missiles into Israel, and during the Palestinian uprising a decade later he paid cash grants to families of suicide bombers.
The U.N. sanctions remained in effect until his regime collapsed in 2003, devastating Iraq's economy and impoverishing a people who had been among the most prosperous in the Middle East. They also set the stage for the collapse of the regime itself.
The Sept. 11 terror attack on the U.S. focused attention on Saddam as a sponsor of terrorism. His refusal to meet U.N. demands for full disclosure of his illegal weapons program provided a justification for war.
As U.S.-led forces massed, Saddam claimed America's "devastating brutal instinct" had been harnessed by Zionism.
"Halt your evil doings against the mother of civilization ... the cradle and the birthplace of prophets and messengers," he warned the United States. "The entire nation will rise up in defense of its right to life, of its role and of anything it holds sacred ... Their arrows will be on the wrong track or will recoil to their breasts, God willing ... The martyrs of the nation will turn into green birds in paradise as the Merciful has promised."
An American-led force invaded on March 20, 2003. Within three weeks, Iraq's army had collapsed and Baghdad had fallen. U.S. Marines tore down Saddam's statue in the center of Baghdad and the dictator fled to his northern homeland.
His sons, Odai and Qusai, and a grandson were killed in a gunbattle with the Americans in Mosul in July 2003. When Saddam himself was captured the following December, Iraqis cheered and fired shots in the air. "The former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions," President Bush said.
But as he went on trial in October 2005 before an Iraqi judge, his country was engulfed in an anti-American insurgency.
For Saddam, the trial was a pulpit to rail against the U.S. presence in Iraq in hopes of winning the approval of history if not an acquittal. In the early sessions, he strutted into court, grasping a Quran in one arm while waving the other at his fellow defendants.
"How can a judge like yourself accept a situation like this?" Saddam barked. "This game must not continue. If you want Saddam Hussein's neck, you can have it."
But the trial dragged on, the chief judge was replaced, and Saddam's manner calmed as he realized the inevitability of conviction and the death sentence that followed.

3000

(CNN) -- The U.S. military on Sunday announced its 3,000th fatality from the Iraq war.
The identity of the 3,000th military death could not be precisely determined as the exact times of deaths late last week were not immediately available.
On Monday, the military said two soldiers were killed Sunday in an explosion in Iraq's Diyala province, north of Baghdad, bringing the death toll to 3,002.
The U.S. military death toll includes seven civilians working for the Department of Defense.
More than 22,000 other U.S. troops have been wounded in Iraq since the war began nearly four years ago.
The war has also claimed the lives of about 250 allied troops, more than half of them British.
Estimates of Iraqi dead range from about 50,000 to several hundred thousand.
The 3,000th death was announced a day after the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, whose government collapsed as U.S. troops entered Baghdad, and as President Bush ponders a change of strategy in the increasingly unpopular conflict. (Read full story)
Bush vowed that Americans killed in Iraq will not have died in vain, the White House announced Sunday.
"The hardest decision the president ever has to make is to send our men and women into harm's way," White House deputy spokesman Scott Stanzel said in a statement released Sunday.
"The president believes that every life is precious and grieves for each one that is lost. He will ensure their sacrifice was not made in vain."
Bush initially argued the U.S.-led invasion was necessary to strip Hussein's government of stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and to halt efforts to develop a nuclear bomb -- programs Baghdad had been required to give up after the 1991 Persian Gulf war.
U.S. inspectors later determined Iraq had dismantled its weapons programs during the 1990s, though its leaders had tried to conceal some weapons-related research from the United Nations.
Now, the administration says U.S. troops must remain in Iraq to protect the country's new government from a persistent insurgency and a wave of sectarian violence, which has raged for most of the past year.
Bush has repeatedly called Iraq the "central front" in the war on terrorism, which began after the al Qaeda's terrorist network's 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
"We will be fighting violent jihadists for peace and security of the civilized world for years to come," Stanzel said. "The brave men and women of the U.S. military are fighting extremists in order to stop them from attacking on our soil again."
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, where remnants of al Qaeda and its Taliban allies are battling U.S. and NATO troops five years after the attacks, has claimed 353 American and 156 allied lives.
The independent commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks found no "credible evidence" that Iraq had aided al Qaeda in the attacks, which killed 2,749 people.
But Islamic militants loyal to al Qaeda have joined the insurgency against American troops in Iraq and have launched numerous attacks on Iraqi civilians since the fall of Baghdad.
Observers say improvements in body armor and battlefield medicine have helped limit the death toll.
The 1950-53 Korean War left more than 36,000 Americans dead and more than 100,000 wounded, while the Vietnam War claimed 58,000 American lives and left 153,000 wounded between 1964 and 1973. (Watch a historical perspective on U.S. war deaths )
The war in Iraq has now lasted longer than U.S. involvement in World War II, which claimed more than 405,000 U.S. military lives as the United States and its allies battled Germany, Japan and Italy.