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? 

Who are your heroes? Is the age of heroes over?

I do not think it is a time to quit celebrating people we admire!  I sure have been lucky to have found many in my life!  And they are still out there!  You just have to look!  They can come from any walk of life, be male or female, be famous or unknown, be rich or poor.  They can be part of your own family or live on the other side of the world.  They could have changed the World or just one life!  And they, of course can be from long ago or be here right now!
Here are a few of mine:
Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Mr. Rogers,(Fred Rogers).
Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Magic Johnson.
Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Mohammed Ali.
John Lennon, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Tony Bennet. Barbra Striesand.
Franklin Delano Roosvelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower.
Hubert Humphrey, Paul Wellstone, Eleanor Roosvelt.
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Amy Klobuchar.
Alan Shephard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin.
And, oh yes, my Mother, and my Father, and my Grandmother Kearns.
That is just a few of mine!  Who are yours?
What do YOU think??

Are you a Liberal?? I am, and damn proud of it!!

I think being a Liberal means having an open heart and an open mind!  I think it means seeing all races, cultures, and traditions as valid and deserving recognition!
And I think it means understanding we are all in this together, as part of the human race!  We MUST BE our brothers 'keeper' !  No matter how rich or powerful a person might be, they are still mortal and subject to the vicissitudes of life.  You know the phrase,'there, but for the grace of God go I'  A sense of superiority is a dangerous platform, subject to violent shaking!  You know, like in an earthquake, or flood, or violent wind!!
So if you are smug in your certainty, you had better do a reality check!
So, yes, as I said above, I AM A LIBERAL!!
What do YOU think??

Are faith and religion the same!! I don't think so!!

There is so much said and done in the name of religion out there!  A good part of it is just posturing!  Faith is what you believe in, what you at your core feel confident to know.  Religion is the mode on how you go about practising that faith  It is not particularly important what you call yourself, but it is important how you live your life!  A lot of people have been persecuted and killed in the name of every religion, and it still goes on.... Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox does not matter!  Whether you are Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or any other,  does not matter really.  And to any just God, it could NOT matter!  All that would matter is how you live your life and what you value!  There are no doubt many paths to know God!  I think all of them start with an attempt to be a decent human being and love your fellow human beings and treasure the Earth as our fragile common home. 
Don't get me wrong, I love being a Christian and as part of that a Presbyterian, but I know that does not make me superior to someone who has chosen a different way to acknowledge the existance of a higher power we call God or Allah or whatever we choose!  And how we worship and observe is fine, if it works for us!  God loves all people of all races, cultures, and religions!  Isn't that one of the definitions of an all knowing and powerful God??
What do YOU think?

Is the use of military power sometimes justified!

I think so!  Of course, great caution should always be used!  US and allied interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq show pitfalls of somewhat incautious entrance in other nations territories!!
None the less, I am in favor of the actions being taken by the US, France, UK and others to protect the Libyan people against a brutal dictator who will stop at nothing to subdue his people!  I think this action is neccessary and critical to save innocent peoples lives!
There are times in history, when we must step up to the challenge to do what must be done!!
What do YOU think??

Is the era of nuclear power over?

Considering the major disaster at Japan's nuclear power plants maybe it is time to reconsider ALL of the issues and implications of building more of these energy sources around the world!  There must be a safer way!  They are just too dangerous!
So what are some safe energy sources?  Wind, solar, tides, biomass, geothermal are some possibilities!  I think the technology is avaliable to make one or more of these alternatives vialble!!
PLEASE tell me what YOU think!!

Good Morning from slowly thawing out Marshall, Minnesota!

If you could live anywhere on Earth, where would it be?  And why?  I suppose it comes down to what you value most!  Is that peace and tranquility, economic opportunity, freedom of expression, or is at as simple as being close to people you have the most in common with!  It is probably a combination of factors, and it may be why you are where you are now!  Of course, it is possible that you are not where you most wish to be, and hope to move somewhere else soon or eventually!
Now I need to mention that many people make their choice based on climate!  Too hot, or too cold can be a deal breaker!  If you hate snow, Minnesota or Maine may not be your best choice!  And if you hate the heat, you might want to avoid Arizona or Florida!  And those are just choices in the USA.  There are a great variety of places around the world that offer every possibility!
And what about your sense of adventure?  Maybe you just want to live somewhere new and different?
What do YOU think?

I wanted to start a blog and share some thoughts!

I love communicating with my friends around the world! And I want to share some of my views of the world as I see it!
As an optimistic and positive person, the tone will generally be joyful and foward looking!  I will always welcome dialog and suggestions!  Please tell me what YOU think!
I will share about my life and I hope you will do the same!
PEACE, JOY, and LOVE to you all!