Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 30

Lansing State Journal Saturday, Nov. 14,1992 2D Today People in freebie Beware of any deal offering a Worship mi and feel like a fool for not having known better. I hope you will print my letter so that others might benefit from my experience. F.B., Fontana, Calif. Dear Fontana: That overnight service gimmick is a dead giveaway.

That's often how those crooks avoid being charged with mail fraud. Here's a message to all my readers: Nobody is waiting to give you a lot of money or a valuable gift just because they are philanthropists. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Dear Ann Landers: I have a problem, and I hope you won't think it's too silly to print. I need an outside opinion, and I value yours.

My daughter, a mature 10-year-old, has asked me for permission to shave her legs. She told me that she has already been shaving under her arms for several months. It seems to me that 10 is an unusually young age for a girl to start shaving her legs. Or am I mistaken? I've told my daughter I need to IN AND AROUND LANSING Clergy join fight against cancer Lansing area clergy have been drawn into the fight against breast and cervical cancers. The Ingham County Health Department this month issued a plea to churches to pass along information about a new program that offers free and reduced cost screening for both cancers.

The churches were asked to post and publish the information in their bulletins. The new program is funded by a grant and targets women 40 and older. It includes a clinical breast exam, pelvic exam, pap smear and health education. A mammogram will be scheduled. For information, call the cancer control program at 887-4364.

Seminary students minister to Hmongs Every weekend, Pa and Ber Vang, students at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, drive to Lansing and minister to the Hmong community. They are sponsored by several Baptist organizations, including Delta First Baptist Church, 4901 W. Michigan. Delta First provides a place to stay and food for the weekend. The Vangs, who are Hmong, concentrate on Bible study, Pastor Dennis Taylor said.

"This is a Hmong ministry," Taylor said. "Our goal is to help them understand Jesus Christ and Christianity." Worship service features clowning around Ever want to see how a clown puts on makeup? A Clown Worship Service will start at 1 1 a.m. Sunday at Jud-son Memorial Baptist Church, 530 Vernon Ave. Clowns will appear in costume and will put on their makeup at 10:30 a.m. in the social hall, for the curious.

Tombee, Numbers and Puzzles the clown as well as a new clown will present a worship service different from previous clown services the church has had. 'Body Theology' author to lead workshop Sexuality is central to the mystery of human experience and losing battle ANN LANDERS I called and wrote letters trying to get my money back, but I got nowhere. No one answers my letters, and I get the runaround when I call on the phone. I reported this company to my local postmaster and was told the Postal Service can't do anything about these crooks without concrete evidence. Apparently, they are very slick operators.

Their lawyers know the law backward and forward, and they know exactly what kind of language to use to avoid getting arrested. Please, Ann, tell your readers not to fall for things that look too good to be true. I'm a senior citizen Americans QUESTION: Would you please comment on how well we are doing in the battle of the bulge? I was sitting in a mall recently, "people watching," and I was amazed at how fat we are even though we have Nutrasweet and fat substitutes and a hundred different weight-loss programs to choose from. I have seen reports that we are doing better, and others that say we are doing worse. I would also like to know more about the movement to evaluate diet programs on the basis of their success rate.

T.W., Louisville, Ky. ANSWER: There is not one shred of evidence that we are winning the battle of the bulge. And no wonder. We recognize the importance of reduction, but we refuse to take the obvious and intelligent and substantive steps required to get the job done. Instead we opt for quick fixes.

And because our approach is so inept, our stores of body fat (and our national debt) keep getting larger year by year. Americans are fatter than ever before an average of 6 pounds fatter than we were in 1980. Weight-loss programs are popular: We spend over $10 billion annually on them. Do they work? Not at all. We keep pouring our hard-earned cash into weight-loss pro- minimi wi i to the human relationship with God.

That's what "Body Theology," a new book by a Minnesota theologian, says. Its author, James Nelson, will present a two-day seminar on his views Nov. 21 and 22 at two Lansing area churches. He will speak at 7 p.m. Nov.

21 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 2001 Grand River, on "Male Sexuality and Masculine Spirituality: Where Are We Headed." Tickets are $10. He will present a workshop on "Gender and Sexual Orientation: The Test Cases for Or Nelson p.m. Nov. ganized Religion" from 2 p.m. to 4 BODY SHOP By Bryant fvA Stamford grams, hoping to find the right one.

Sorry. The reason we won't find the right one is that they are all more or less the same. They starve you, and weight melts off quickly. Unfortunately, too much of the weight lost is muscle and water, and not enough is fat. When you "graduate" from the program, you go right back to eating the way you used to, and the weight comes back faster than it left New York City has recognized that most weight-loss programs are nothing more than flim-flams, and it is attempting to help its citizens make intelligent decisions by forcing program operators to disclose success rates.

This is a great idea, but I suspect the success rates reported will be massaged so they bear little resemblance to the truth. In order for reported success Dear Ajm Landers: Please run this in your column under the heading, "Would-Be Winners, Beware." I was gypped out of $395 by a company that fooled me into believing I was going to win a lot of money. The name of this company sounded official, like it was part of the U.S. government, but of course, there was no connection. I should have known the company was in business to sell something.

It entices people by claiming they are sure to win a lot of money or some valuable prize. I was led to believe that I would win one of five prizes a Cadillac, a trip to Hawaii, $5,000, a home entertainment center, or $2,500 in cash. All I had to do was buy a beautiful sculpture worth $1,000 at a bargain price of only $395. They even promised to refund my $395 if I was not satisfied with the sculpture. Well, I wasn't satisfied.

It was junk. How dumb of me not to suspect something was fishy when they said I had to send the check by a private overnight delivery service. TODAY'S CALENDAR SPECIAL INTEREST Association for Retarded Gti-zensGreater Lansing: Support for people with challenging behaviors, families and staff featuring Glen Dunlap 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. today at the Kellogg Center, East Lansing $45. MEETINGS Division 5, North Central Region, National Model RR Association: Monthly meeting 1:30 p.m.

today at Lansing Model RR Club, Lansing Road; free. American Association for Medical Transcription, Bay Area Chapter: November meeting with speakers A.K. Freemanis, M.D., and Ar-lene Sierra, M.P.A., registration a.m., meeting a.m. today at MSU Clinical Center, M.R.I. Building $20non-members.

The daily calendar is published as a free service to our readers. To have your event listed in the calendar, mail or bring it to Today's Calendar, Lansing State Journal (120 E. Lenawee, Lansing, 48919) one week before the date of the event. Each day's item must be in writing on one of our printed forms (available in the lobby). All events must be held by non-profit organisations and should be open to the public.

Got a news tip? Question? Call us! FLIP SIDES: Teen issues, food, senior citizens issues, science and technology, personal life, fashion and home. Call Jacque Janssen, 377-1046. WHATS ON: Weekly entertainment guide runs Thursdays. Call Tom Schmitz, 377-1018. TV Listings: Call Don Ramsey, 377-1018.

Other stuff: Call Mike Hughes, 377-1156. A(V1ADU5 Directed By Jeff Brenner Nov. 15 2 p.m. Nov. 16 7 p.m.

LCP Firehouse 23O0 E. Michigan For more information call 484-9115 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., BRESLIN STUDENT EVENTS CENTER NOV. 14 and NOV 15 6Sat Nov. 14.

..7:00 pm WJIM Night Sunday, Nov. 15 ......1:00 pm 4:30 pm WILX-TV 10 $2 Off Coupon at Goff Food Stores Group Sale 20 or more' $2.00 Off Call 336-1440 Tickets available at the Breslin Center Box Office 336-1440 or 1-8Q0-968-BRES and all Ticketmaster Outlets 484-5656 5 think about it and that I will let her know what I decide soon. Thanks for your help, Ann. Stockton, Calif. Dear Stockton: I agree that 18.

is awfully young to start shaving! legs, but you are in a better position to evaluate the growth than am. I doubt that the girl would be shaving if there was nothing there to take off. Meanwhile, ask your dermatologist to recommend a depilatory instead. It is safer than a razor and the hair will not grow back so rapidly. I hope you will insist on supervising the procedure, at least for a while.

It's nice that your daughter asked. Most wouldn't. BBS Gem of the Day: Funny how people don't have time to do it right, but they FIND time to do it over. Have a problem? Write to Ann Landers, Creator's Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Suite 700, Los Angeles, Calif.

90045. Her column appears daily. of the bulge rates to be meaningful, they must reflect long-term success. Knowing that you can lose 50 pounds in a particular program is not very helpful if you gain back 60 pounds soon after the program is over. Even so, weight-loss advertisements tell you that you will lose 20, 30 or more pounds quickly and effortlessly.

Never is there a mention of how successful you will be keeping that weight off. If weight-loss programs insist on reporting short-term results, they should be required to determine and reveal what proportion of the weight loss was body fat and what proportion was muscle and water. It is important to keep in mind that not all weight loss is fat loss, because when you get off the diet and return to your old eating habits, you will quickly replace alt 50 the fat you lost, usually But you may not replace all the muscle you lost When you return to your original weight, you will actually be fatter than you were before going on the diet Bryant Stamford is an exercise physiologist at the University of Louisville. Questions? Write to Body Shop, Gannett News Service, co The Courier-Journal, 525 W. Broadway, Louisville, Ky.

40202. 3-Wife 1 Si f. ii; i. HdOfp) CthldlGrttOT) II n. rUT i I I rr- I ii i ii i i 1 1 i i i it i i i i in 22 at River Terrace Ministry Center, 1509 River Terrace, East Lansing.

Tickets are $15. "Body Theology" was published this month by Westminster John Knox Press at $12.99. For information, call 332-5073. SPECIAL EVENTS 50 years of Quaker Worship in Lansing Fifty years of Quaker Worship in Lansing will be celebrated tonight at a worship sharing and dinner at All Saints Episcopal Church, 800 Abbott Road, East Lansing. The Lansing group started in the fall of 1942, under the care of the Ann Arbor Monthly Meeting, eventually becoming the East Lansing Friends Meeting and then the Red Cedar Friends Meeting.

Today's celebration will start at 3:30 p.m., the worship sharing at 4 p.m., and dinner in the Undercroft at 5:30 p.m. Cake will be served about 7:30 p.m. The celebration will continue Sunday at 12:30 p.m., with a meeting for worship in the lounge of All Saints. Christmas party benefits homeless The Fifth Annual Christmas Party to benefit the homeless will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 9 at the Country Club of Lansing. Tickets are $30. Funds raised at the party go to the Transitional Housing Program Fund, co-sponsored by St. Lawrence Hospital, Advent House Ministries and Refugee Services.

Last year the fund provided temporary housing for 12 homeless families, including 50 children. The party will feature Punch, hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar. For information, call 377-0572 before Dec. 1. Diocesan Assembly comes to East Lansing About 400 Catholics from 93 parishes are expected at MSU's Kellogg Center Friday night for the start of the seventh biennial Diocesan Assembly.

The Rev. Patrick Brennan of Chicago will speak at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Big Ten Room on becoming a welcoming, inclusive community. Maureen Kelly, a book publisher's adviser on catechetical texts, will speak at 1:15 p.m. Nov.

21 in the Big Ten Room on the Catholic identity. The assembly, which draws hundreds of lay people, will focus on young adults and special interest groups within the church, such as handicappers. It is designed to give parish representatives a chance to meet with Bishsop Kenneth Povish. Local Baha'is going to World Congress About 25 Lansing Baha'is will celebrate the unity of the worldwide Baha'i community at a World Congress in New York City Nov. 23 to 26.

About 30,000 Baha'is from around the world will mark the Holy Year that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the death of the founder of their religion, Baha'u'llah. The Lansing Baha'i community, including the children, has been working for some time a colorful banner with excerpts on both sides from the writings of Baha'u'llah. The banner has already been sent to New York for the Congress. For more information, call 332-3250. AND MORE Illusionist Gary Collins will present his "Illusions of Grandeur" at 1 1 a.m.

and 6 p.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday at First Baptist Church, Williamston. Collins and his wife, Wendy, travel throughout the country as Visual Evangelism fl QGih OS) QJ8Ib based in Canton. He does different illusions every night, appealing to all ages.

Christian singer Patricia White will perform at 5 p.m. today at the Lansing Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 5400 W. St. Joseph. White has released two albums: "White Robe" "Love Will." The Third Annual Retreat of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Lansing started Friday at the St.

Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt. It will conclude Sunday. Lawyers, health care professionals and nactnral minictorc will xunrlr out hrictian rr. i -jr rtz. i -htji TirnTrf-imi-iriitni-flli l-l'illlBillIlinifttliM ii iiiii in mini i i in in spective in medical ethics.

The Rev. Charles Wnite I Irvin, retreat master, pastor and lawyer, will lead the discussion. Two churches joined the Central Baptist Association this fall: Mason Baptist Church and Island City Baptist Church. Ma-; son has been a Mission of Cedar Street Baptist in Holt They meet at Mason High School with Pastor Rick Sharkey. Island City I was sponsored by Delta First Baptist in Lansing.

They meet at 2581 S. Michigan Road, Eaton Rapids, with the Rev. Tim Fisher. I Do you have something to contribute? We'd love to hear about it. News about upcoming speakers, special volunteers, successful fund-raisers all are welcome in this column.

Call Karen Douglas at 377-1063, Sheila Schimpf at 377-1261, or write: People in Worship, Lansing State Journal, 120 E. Lenawee Lansing 48919. Karen Douglas' regular People Etc column runs in this space Sunday through Friday. 0-.