10-12 (Fri – Sun) Ft. Myers . “ABATE of Florida, Inc. State Meeting.” Southwest Chapter. More info: call ABATE State Office at (386) 943-9610. E-Mail: flabate@bellsouth.net. 

Don't you hate having a foggy windshield? Go to your discount store and buy a chalkboard eraser. Keep the eraser in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! 
Works better than a cloth! 

NAPLES DOWNTOWN NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND ART FESTIVAL 
~~~~~~~~ 
January 1-2, 2005 Naples, FL / 954-472-3755 Ring in the New Year at one of the nation's premiere fine art shows! This festival is the season premiere for the three tremendous fine art shows on 5th Avenue South. The festival is located outdoors in downtown Naples. The fair will feature a broad spectrum of media, including life-size sculptures, photography, original hand-crafted jewelry, functional and decorative pottery, ceramics, paintings and more. 

Over 35 states in the nation will be represented with artists coming from as far as California, Colorado and Maine. Not everyone is traveling a long distance - more than 100 of Florida's own talented artists will also be exhibiting in the show. The Art Fair is a juried show, which means each participating artist was hand-selected to ensure a first-class festival with only the highest quality, original artwork. 

While reading a page of print, the eyes do not move continually across the page. They move in a series of jumps, called "fixations," from one clump of words to the next. 

Project GreenShores was launched in 2001 to restore 15 acres of salt marsh off the coast of Pensacola. More than 20,000 tons of recycled concrete and limestone rock form a man-made reef, which safeguards aquatic plants from wave damage and provides the foundation for seven acres of oyster habitat. The reef also provides a rest stop for migratory and local birds and shelters a diversity of marine life.

DEC. 6, 1969, WILL GO down in Tri-Valley history as its "day of infamy," when the Age of Aquarius lost its innocence as 300,000 people tripped out to the music of the Rolling Stones and other rock groups of that era. It was there, on the Altamont hills east of Livermore, that four people died and three babies were born.

A freelance photographer for the Oakland Tribune, Larry Medina, remembers it vividly. He had been shooting film all day and into the night near the stage, then had his camera and all the rolls of film stored in canisters on the camera strap ripped from him by Hells Angels. The camera was smashed onto the ground and kicked under the stage.

Dickey( former Tri-Valley Herald editor) recalls that "the air was so thick with the pungent odor of marijuana you could cut it with a knife." The Hells Angels were hired for $500 worth of beer by the Stones' manager to "police" the event and keep fans from rushing the stage. As the music pulsated, the beer and drugs flowed, the crowd surged, and the Angels used brute force -- pool cues, knives, beer cans and whatever else they had at their disposal -- to beat back frenzied fans. Valley Memorial Hospital was swamped with drug overdoses, beating injuries and accident victims that night and early into the next day.

Dickey concluded that "whether we approved of it or not, this should be seen as a significant historical event. History does not seek our approval. It was a signature happening of the hippie generation -- all about drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll." He even thinks a historic marker at the speedway site would be appropriate, now that all the anguished souls, angry ranchers and overwhelmed police have let this fade into memory.

Holiday Lighting Tips.... 
1. Replace your larger-bulb lights with mini lights. 
They use up to 50 percent less energy than larger lights and last 65 percent longer. 

2. Run your outdoor lights on a timer pre-set for three to five hours to save energy. 

3. Icicle lights have more lights per linear foot than regular light strands and use more energy. Instead, use mirrors or tinsel around indoor lights to make them more effective. 

4. (LED) light strings have extremely low energy use and very long lives. Their higher initial cost is offset by energy savings and reduced hassles of bulb replacements. 

5. Turn lights off when no one is around to enjoy them. 

6. When going to bed for the evening, reduce costs by unplugging all lights at the wall outlet. 

7. Consider floodlights for outdoor lighting. Floodlights are available for both standard incandescent and halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs give more intense light and use less energy. Buy different colors for a festive look! 

North Barrington, Ill., wants deer gone from the Chicago suburb, but its residents didn't find the solution offered by rocker Ted Nugent to be endearing. 

The village last week voted to let bow hunters to kill about 
20 deer after residents complained about deer tearing up landscaping. 

But one critic called it dangerous to hunt in a populated area and likened bow hunters to "six-pack swilling fans of Ted Nugent," reports WBBM-TV, Chicago. 

Whereupon, the controversial rocker offered to personally take care of the deer population. 

"All they got to do is give me a call, and I'll whack 'em and stack 'em and kill 'em and grill 'em and celebrate with the venison party God has blessed us with," Nugent said. 

Nugent called critics of deer hunting ignorant, citing the growing number of drivers killed in deadly crashes involving deer.
FLFLHTC: Sounds like a party to me.