America in Space, 'The Eagle Has Landed'

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of Alan Shepherds brief flight into history!  He was the first American to leave the Earth into sub-orbital flight  in 1961.  The Mercury program led by America's initial 7 astronauts was an inspiration for me and millions of others around the planet!  I watched each step on TV as the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs progressed with the culmination on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon!  It still gives me chill!  I was so proud to be an American that day and I still am!
I want all mankind to still aspire to reach the stars!  It is who we are and what we are!  I hope humans never lose their desire to 'go where no man has gone',and to go in Peace to seek our destiny!

Larry's Minnesota Life: Libraries are there for everyone!

Larry's Minnesota Life: Libraries are there for everyone!: "I love libraries, always have, always will! It amazes me that some people never go to the library to borrow a book, tape, or video. It is ..."

Libraries are there for everyone!

I love libraries, always have, always will!  It amazes me that some people never go to the library to borrow a book, tape, or video.  It is all there, and it is all FREE!!
So whatever you are looking for, it is probably available at your local library.  If they do not have it there now, they will almost certainly get it for you quickly.  We are so blessed that here in the US, and in most other countries, libraries are there to serve the public and do so admirably.  If there is a subject you would like to learn about, you can pursue it till your hearts content!  If reading the printed page is difficult for you, they probably have many hundreds of books on audio tape.  And now, most libraries have videos, whether it be movies or documentaries.
If you have not been to your local library in awhile, pay them a visit!  I think you will be happy you did!

Water, The necessity of enough, and the hazard of too much!

We all know that life as we know it could not exist without water!  And, our planet is about 70% covered by water, and WE are about the same composed of water!  And yet we waste it, and we pollute it, and we just plain take it for granted!
And, of course we fear it too.  Floods and tsunamis are killers, and destroy at a monumental and catastropic level!  And, they sure get our attention like the recent tsunami that devastated Japan!  The floods in Australia were another recent example of the devastation water can bring!
So what can we do??  As far as floods and tsunamis, not a whole lot except be prepared as much as possible for the consequences, and of course have plans in place to help with rescue and recovery.
As far as our water resources go, we must stop polluting, and clean up what we have messed up!  And we must stop wasting water as if there was no end to its abundance.  Ask the people of Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles if there will always be enough water and you will hear real concern!
So, be grateful for the water you have and quit wasting it!!
What do YOU think??

What do you collect? And Why?

There are so many reasons to collect things, and many of us collect a number of things!  I may even collect too many things, but, oh well, it is probably too late to change my ways....
Let me tell you a bit about a couple of things I collect.
On my eighth birthday my parents gave me a stamp album,  And so many worlds, that did open!  There began my lifelong interests in geography, history, cultures, and much much more!  One thing always led to another. and it still goes on.  And of course, I still collect stamps and still love it!  Everything is portrayed on those little bits of paper, and they are never ending in their portrayal of life as we know it, and imagine it!
I also collect books, and have well over 4500 of them, and again, I am sure my love of books has led me down many wonderful roads!  All that knowledge, insight, and adventure at the tip of my fingers, and of course, their is no limit to where one can travel with the imagination and skill of a great author!  What a delight it is!
Another thing I collect is LP records. I have over 3500 of them!  The album covers are amazing, but what is even more exciting is to hear the variety of great sounds impressed into that vinyl!  Classic rock to Classical, it is all there!  Jazz,  Blues,  Folk,  Country,  Western,  Opera,  Instumental, etc. etc., there is some thing in this world of sound to catch your ear.  It is just so much fun!
In fact collecting is so much fun!  There is such a sense of accomplishment, and occasionall near completion.  It can be such a challenge!
Of course, I collect other things.  I will write more on this topic soon!
So, what do you collect??  Please write to me about it!
What do YOU think??

Why do we love books so much!

Books can take us anywhere!  To any time and place, past,  present, or future!  They our our window to the world in everyway!  Books transmit wisdom from the ages, and sometimes folly too!  We can look in on people who lived long ago and faraway!  We can thus understand them better, and in many ways have greater insight to who we are, how we got here,  and where we are going!
We can learn about almost anything, and always be inspired to know more!  We can be instructed, guided, advised, and even admonished!  What do you want to know?  It is there!
Do you want to travel to the past and feel as if you are there?  Do you want to see the present from a multitude of eyes and feel you are not alone?  Do you want to imagine the future in a variety of possible scenarios, and maybe dream up your own?  It is all there!!  There are no limits!  Ptck up a book and let the adventure begin!!  Whole new worlds await you!!
What do YOU think??

Do you believe in magic? Or things extraordinarily otherwordly?

Miracles?  Maybe you think all of that is hype and exaggeration or religious exubberance!  I don't think that!  I believe in all of the above....
Some people believe miracles happened only when Jesus was on Earth, that we are too modern or progressive for all that.  I think they just have not looked around, or maybe not opened their eyes!
Every new birth is a miracle, and every amazing animal, or bird, or reptile, or amphibian, etc. is a miracle!  Life itself is a miracle!!
AND I think that in EACH OF OUR LIVES miraculous events have occured!  Maybe we just missed seeing what it was, but it was there....
I hope you never stop believing in magic or miracles!  It would be a dreary world without that hope!
What do YOU think?