Beautiful life lessons taught and learned ...From Paris

Reports reveal that his mother heard the snap of his right arm, breaking, no contest for her son against a man outweighing her son by 150lbs.  She knew his right arm was broken. She jumped up, grabbed her face with her hands and raced toward him.  Other reports reveal the love and devotion of his father, his hand quietly moving up, in gentle protest.  "What do you want to do, buddy?"

"I want to continue."

"NO!"  his mother declared in severe disapproval.  He needs to be taken to the emergency room right now!  I heard it.  His arm is broken!"

"I want to continue", the brave warrior son declared defiantly.

"Okay.  Here's what we're going to do.  I'm going to run to the drug store near by and get an ace bandage.  There's no pressure for you to continue.  I'll do whatever you want", his father whispered.

"I WANT TO CONTINUE!"

"Okay."

His mother, choked with of emotion, shaking in horror and disbelief; a tornado of beauty and dread, swirling, whirling around her.  She would need to gather the strength he needed from her. She could not let him down. She could not disappoint him.  She would learn many lessons this night...from her 13 year old son. ...(stay tuned)

You go girl! Our Secretary of State tripping the lights in Colombia

A centenary ago -- Titanic sank

Haunting new pictures of boots at Titanic wreck site show human cost of tragedy 100 years after ship sank beneath the waves

• A moment of silence, flowers on the sea and a whistle in the dark: Memorial cruise passengers mark 100 years since Titanic tragedy on spot where ship went down

Newly-released photos show the haunting images of Titanic victim's clothing lining the bottom of the ocean floor 100 years after the New York-bound ship sank in the North Atlantic. A 2004 photograph, released to the public for the first time this week in an uncropped version to coincide with the disaster's centenary, shows a coat and boots in the mud at the legendary shipwreck site. It came as the passengers of a cruise ship retracing the route of the ill-fated liner RMS Titanic held an emotional memorial service, right, at the exact spot where the ship sank on its maiden voyage a century ago.

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"He has been an unmitigated disaster to the country," Cheney said of President Barack Obama.

Well said. On point. Let's change the status quo.

Sad penguins everywhere...the Pens are down 0-3 in their series to the Flyers

Pittsburgh Penguins are down 0-2 in their series with the Flyers; other penguins sad about it

Ha'ikū Stairs, Hawaii

The Haʻikū Stairs is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. This locally famous 3,922-step stairway ascends to the summit of the Koolau mountain range. The stairs climb 2,800 feet (850 m) up a nearly vertical cliff from the base of Haiku Valley to the summit of Puu Keahi a Kahoe.

See some more amazing paths: http://www.theworldgeography.com/2012/04/8-of-most-unique-paths-in-world.html

Obama adviser gets crossed up; or perhaps he is telling the truth

The Chinese are giving up on wind and solar

The Chinese government dealt the public relations strategy of green technology advocates in the Obama administration a blow last month when Premier Wen Jiabao announced that the state-run economy would stop expanding its wind and solar industries, choosing instead to focus on nuclear, hydroelectric and shale — or fracking — as the energies of the future.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/14/china-slows-solar-wind-expansion-undermining-white-house-green-pr-strategy/

Mark Steyn has some fun with the lyrics to this one hit wonder

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman should survive
They’ll only be twelve months away from paying off Obama’s 2011 budget deficit…

More solar panel company shenanigans

The executives of Willard & Kelsey Solar Group, a struggling solar-panel manufacturer, began lending themselves company funds the same day the firm received $5 million from a group of Italian investors, internal financial records show.

Michael Cicak, Willard & Kelsey's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, received a $40,000 loan that day. Mossie Murphy, chief financial officer at the time, received a $30,000 loan.

The loans to five company executives totaled more than $500,000 from August to October, 2008, records show. In addition, the top five executives also received payments of almost $1 million from November, 2008, through March, 2009.

The financial records obtained by The Blade detailing Willard & Kelsey's spending in its early days were maintained by William Mitchell, former Willard & Kelsey CEO.

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04/15/Execs-lent-to-selves-at-solar-firm.html

Former Dem. Congressman Kennedy: access to the White House is for sale

Access to the Obama White House is in direct correlation to the amount of money donated to the president's reelection effort and the Democratic party, the New York Times reports today.

The Times reports: "those who donated the most to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party since he started running for president were far more likely to visit the White House than others. Among donors who gave $30,000 or less, about 20 percent visited the White House, according to a New York Times analysis that matched names in the visitor logs with donor records. But among those who donated $100,000 or more, the figure rises to about 75 percent. Approximately two-thirds of the president’s top fund-raisers in the 2008 campaign visited the White House at least once, some of them numerous times."

But the most explosive allegation in the news story comes from former Democratic congressman Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Ted Kenney, who calls what the Obama White House is doing "quid pro quo."


Patrick J. Kennedy, the former representative from Rhode Island, who donated $35,800 to an Obama re-election fund last fall while seeking administration support for a nonprofit venture, said contributions were simply a part of “how this business works.”

“If you want to call it ‘quid pro quo,’ fine,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want to make sure I do my part.”

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/former-dem-congressman-kennedy-alleges-quid-pro-quo-access-white-house_637051.html

For the right price, you may kiss the ring.

Iron Boy. Iron Man. ...From Paris

He stood poised silent; one deep breath lifting his shoulders to face a gauntlet of 3rd and 4th degree black belts surrounding him.  He bowed to the master before he began.  His warrior mind transformed now into a bright beam; a focused laser.  There was no backing out.  He would be required to do something he had never before done; his circumstances severely confining his options.

Gritty determined courage pulled him up. He was Gladiator, charging toward his fierce aggressor opponents.  Grunts, slams and the snap of deep thick wood boards cracking like twigs under the pressure of his left hand.  An audience in full disbelief, rising to their feet, gasp clapping.

The stinging of his right arm was now a full blown numbing burn.

Four years of  training had brought him to this place.  He would not back out.  He would not back down. He knew the worst was yet to come....(stay tuned) 

The Navy is testing satellite-controlled unmanned vessels

High-flying drones have been getting a ton of attention lately, with all the expensive research and development that is going into crafting the stealthiest, or the longest-lasting, or the most capable unmanned aerial vehicle.

Coinciding with news that China is betting big on its new naval-based aerial drones, U.S. defense contractor Textron demonstrated a vessel Thursday in New Orleans that navigates and patrols the high seas on its own.

The Common Unmanned Surface Vessel has previously been tested out by the Navy during its Trident Warrior trials, the annual fleet experiment for trying out “advanced capabilities” and combat techniques.

Without requiring an onboard crew — and risking the lives of sailors — an unmanned surface vessel would carry out missions dealing with “mine countermeasures, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.”

The drone can also send out warnings to unidentified vessels with unknown intentions, “serving as the Navy’s eyes and ears, — and occasionally it’s voice.”



http://www.theblaze.com/stories/robotic-naval-warfare-check-out-the-navys-new-satellite-controlled-unmanned-vessel/