FIDEL CASTRO STILL BLOWING OUT CANDLES

You have to give the guy credit on his birthday at least.  Ever since taking power in 1959, and despite the best efforts of the U.S. , Fidel Castro is celebrating another birthday today.  He's on his 11th U.S. President and still going strong.  He has been given up for dead more times than I can remember but yet, like that old Timex Watch, he keeps on ticking.  
Say what you want about the guy but, he is truly a survivor.  The last man standing of the old Cold War leaders, Castro must have been born with a built in rabbit's foot.  Many in Cuba love the guy and his following is almost god-like, despite the generally poor living conditions for so many in that country.  He has outsmarted the U.S. on so many occasions over the past 50 plus years that it's not even funny.
It's as if we've all grown up with this guy and he is a part of my memories from junior high school when we were all being brainwashed to hate him and everything he stood for.  Though I don't like his ideology. I do respect his resourcefulness and longevity.  So Happy Birthday Fidel and many more you old cold warrior you.

TESTAMENT TO MAN'S CURIOSITY

It's a fantastic testament to the achievement of science and engineering when humans on a planet tens to hundreds of millions of miles away can land a two ton object, blindly, on the surface of another planet, that is inhospitable at best. 
Think about what NASA has achieved with this most recent effort.  Think about it long and hard because it is, phenomenal, fantastic and unbelievable at the same time.  Yes, we've been to the moon, yes we've sent spacecraft to the edge of the solar system, yes we've had tremendous success with space telescopes etc., but, this recent achievement ranks up there with the best of them.
When you take the time to ponder space, time and distance, it is quite humbling.  When you consider that man has been able to achieve such awesome heights of invention, technology, engineering and spaceflight in such a short time, one can only be amazed.  The fact that the Mars Rover Curiosity was successfully landed on Mars should be a sense of pride for all Americans and all people of our planet.  Imagine if all people on this planet got along and worked together instead of fighting wars and threatening  one another, the possibilities would be limitless.  I expect the Mars Rover to be an even more amazing success over the next few years as it sends back data, photos and other information in order to broaden man's understanding of the universe.  Congratulations to NASA and all the individual people who made this possible.

A MESSAGE OF WISDOM FOR OUR YOUTH

Truer words may never have been spoken.  Sometimes it just is worth sharing, so here is some wisdom I found on failblog.org.
Many in the younger generation are perilously close to being lost for a variety of reasons.  Some causes can be blamed on the parents for making things too easy, ignoring parental responsibilities in favor of being "buddies,"  not allowing their children to experience failure,  and a variety of other reasons.   But, there is an equal amount of blame that can be placed on the youth themselves.  Lack of motivation, laziness, over-infatuation with technology, among others. 
I think this article would be good one to read at future high school graduations.

MEDIA BIAS: SOMETHING WE'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME

One Face of Bias

This article sums it up better than any other I've ever seen. So much information "given out" by the Media has little to do with facts and a great deal to do with their having an agenda.  (A very UN-American agenda in my opinion)
I have NO trust in news reporting on TV, NONE!  It's not only what they say but, what they don't say and we all need to keep that in mind. 


http://www.westernjournalism.com/top-50-examples-liberal-media-bias/

ELECTION OF 2008: THE NIGHTMARE THAT NEVER ENDS

CROOKED POLITICIANS NOW THE NORM?

     Is it me or are we at the point yet where the number of lousy, crooked politicians outnumber those that are truly working for the betterment of the country?   If we are not there yet, it certainly seems awful close.  It just seems more likely that to make any substantive changes, it's going to take a violent uprising by those who are sick to death with what is going on.  In an earlier time these pols would be running from the hot tar and feathers.   It's a shame that it has come to this but it wouldn't surprise me to see some pretty big problems in our very near future, and that will only be the beginning.  These guys seem to be getting away with a lot and I'm thinking it is because we the people are so distracted by nonsense. 

SHOOTING IN COLORADO: WHAT IF?

Better to Pack and Not Need To

For all the criticism leveled against George Zimmerman for his actions against Trayvon Martin it sure would have been nice to have a George Zimmerman type at that theater in Colorado wouldn't it?  Tell me I'm not right, especially if you were a victim or the friend or family member of one.  As a result of this we will all be looking over our shoulder the next time we go to a movie and we will probably be walking through metal detectors at the theater in the very near future.   Because of the Zimmerman story there is so much criticism in the media against the Stand Your Ground Laws and guns in general.  Every time something like this happens we get this same response.    A number of talking heads on TV will be calling for  gun control or an outright ban on guns, as well as, the repeal of the Stand Your Ground Laws.  Most likely it will be those with the same liberal mentality that put us in this situation in the first place.  We continue to reap the "dividends" of the mindless liberal agenda we have been following over the last 40 years or so.
Regardless, it sure would have been great if a few of the moviegoers would have been packing and been able to return fire at that douche-bag murderer when he tossed those canisters into the audience.  To see a cell phone video of some citizenry in the theater firing back would have been great!  Too bad that once again,  INNOCENT people are caught unarmed in a life or death situation.  If only we were sure this guy will be fried but, we all know better.   His rights will take precedent over the victims.  We know how this works already in America.  Lawyers, trials, appeals etc. etc. etc.  He'll be around another fifty years.  Now that is a crime.