Saw this photo and couldn’t help but think, “Nice change to see a kid climbing the wall instead of the parents.” Guess I was feeling pretty cynical that day.
End of an era
The space shuttle program will soon be coming to an end. The shuttles have been going into space for nearly 30 years and have been a valuable part of our space program. The shuttle Discovery is making its final voyage this week as it will dock with the International Space Station today.
Discoveries mission is to deliver supplies as well as a robot that will fly in space. I will be sorry when the shuttles are done with as they have been a huge part of our lives.
Animal testing
There has been quite a stir in the news lately about whether or not it is ethical to use animals for research purposes. Some researchers have stated that animal testing is the only way to bring medicines to the market in a timely manner. Without it, people would die.
On the other hand, animal rights activists say that using animals for research is cruel and inhumane. They vow not to use any drug that comes from animal testing. The government says that testing is highly regulated and that the animals are treated humanely. I guess the debate will go on for quite awhile yet.
Rare earth mining
One little known fact is that the country of China exports nearly 97% of the world’s rare earth minerals. The minerals are used in the making of many important products such as windmills, lasers, and a variety of military weapons. The problem is that our country is at their mercy if they decided to cut production or raise their prices.
The good news is that we have these minerals here at home. The bad thing is that many of them are on public land. Some mining companies want to start mining these minerals so that we can have our own supply. I think it’s a good idea to start mining and reduce our reliance on China.
Flyover
The Super Bowl was pretty good this year. While the game was exciting, there are some people who question the wisdom of having the Navy using four F-15s to fly over the stadium that had the retractable roof closed. The fans inside had to watch the flyover on the big screen inside.
There are estimates that it cost the taxpayers somewhere between 100,000 and 400,000 thousand dollars in gas and other expenses. The navy says the cost was worth it as the flyovers are a good recruiting tool. There are many traditionalists who say the flyovers have become a part of our culture and are expected every year.
Good or Bad
Law and order is a very important part of our lives. The ability for Americans to walk down the street in relative safety is what makes our country so great. I respect our court system and believe that it works for the most part. There are also those who work the streets taking care of our citizens every day. The problem is that there are occasions when those we trust the most turn on us. I recently heard of one example of this behavior.
It’s hard to know the truth when you are not actually involved, but there are times when you must question the authorities. I know there are many cases of police harassment out there. Some people believe that the city of Orlando police are guilty of that. The story is that they tried to ruin a young mans life by harassing him after a traffic stop.
Despite the hard work of many law enforcement officials, police harassment happens a lot more than one may think. I know that no-one would actually condone it, but police harassment can happen even in the best of police departments. It only takes a few bad eggs to make it happen. I think we should all keep this in mind on a daily basis.
Where’s the Beef?
I think that just about everyone has visited the Taco Bell chain from time to time. I know I’ve had my share of tacos and hot sauce over the years. There are some though who believe that Taco Bell is not playing fair with the public. A lawsuit has been filed contending that there is not enough beef in each taco for taco bell to call it a beef taco.
A law firm is suing taco Bell and asking for damages and compensation in a California court. Taco bell has answered the charges by going to the public with newspaper ads saying their tacos are made of 88% beef, the rest being spices and fillers. All I know is that their tacos are good whatever they are made of!!
Breast Cancer
One thing that is great about the age we live in is the serious advances in medicine. We are a long way away from the dark ages when leeches were the answer to everything. While there are many things about the human body we still don’t know about, we do have a working knowledge of some of the diseases that plague us today.
One area that has had vast improvement is cancer in women. It has not received a lot of attention until the last several years. Due to various factors, we have a better understanding of breast cancer symptoms. Breast cancer is very serious but can be dealt with if it is caught early. There are new treatments coming out every day. The trick is to know what breast cancer symptoms are and reporting them to your doctor if found.
There is a lot of information about breast cancer symptoms on the internet. I have taken the liberty to link to one of these sites. Taking a few minutes to read and understand them is a key part of women’s health. Early detection can save your life and that is important to all those around you. I wish everyone good luck with your health and hope you will do your part to stay healthy.
Amelia
One fascinating story of American lore is that of Amelia Earhart. She was attempting a Trans Atlantic flight when she disappeared in 1937. What happened to her has been a mystery ever since. Some think they have found the answer on a remote island.
Scientists have found bone fragments that may belong to the missing aviator. They are still waiting for the DNA results to come back, but it could be the answer to an old mystery. I hope the results will be positive and then the world will know what happened.
A flag
One great thing about America is that we have so much history. The Wild West is a big part of that and there are many stories about it. One of the most famous stories is that of Custer’s last stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn. If there is anything that collectors love, its items from such historic events such as this.
One item to survive the years was the U.S. Cavalry flag that is known as a Guidon. The flag is the only one known that was not captured. The flag has been in the care of the Detroit Institute of Arts since 1895 and has finally been put up for sale. A private buyer bought the flag for $2.2 million dollars. It’s good to know that our history survives and is still of great interest to many Americans.