What can be better than a plethora?

Virgin Galactic Scaled Composites 348 White Knight 2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s a mixed bag this week but somehow our crack staff have found a plethora of stories. (It’s hard to know whether the stories this week are better than average or they were just trying to get me to include ‘plethora’ in the text. I have to say that plethora is a grand word with lots of mouth appeal. Just try to say it while frowning.)

The first story is about the new private spacecraft. After the incredible back pedaling from the space frontier by NASA, it’s great to get excited again about space. NASA’s high point was the moon landing and it’s been downhill since. Thanks to Sir Richard and a few other good men, man is going back into space. It’s good timing too because we need the money being wasted by NASA to pay down the debt.

The news today is that if you want to see the future of space, the Virgin Galactic spacecraft will be appearing at an airshow. I don’t know where Farnborogh is but this is your chance.

Virgin Galactic spaceship to make Farnborough debut

Moving on to the next story, it may not be spaceflight but did you know that there is a bird that uses it’s wings to make music? This bird isn’t stuck in any ruts. Read and be inspired.

Bird sings by playing its wings like a violin

There is also good news this week. Aren’t you sick of being told you are too fat? Unless you are anorexic somebody is going to tell you to lose weight. If it isn’t your wife, it’s your doctor and now the government spends your money to put ads on television just in case you might have missed the message. Well the truth is always more complicated than the government can handle, let alone your wife. Read this story and have hope along with another donut.

Study: Extra pounds may protect heart failure patients

And finally two stories you many not need to know but if you don’t live in California you may still suffer with the delusion that your government is worth all the taxes you pay for it. California is proof that the more you pay the government the more irresponsible it is. From ridiculous regulations like this:

Overturn California’s Foie Gras Ban

To spending money they don’t have like this:

California high-speed rail gets green light

Just what California needs

These days the only dream Californians have left is to dream that they might be able to sell their house for more than they owe and move someplace with worse weather and better economics like North Dakota.

Three stories made the cut this week. You know that our standards here at the Coot’s News Service are high. We look for positive stories that can encourage you in life and if you are a regular reader you understand that those stories are hard to find. Each week is a crap shoot but sometimes we get lucky. Today we have three stories of encouragement with ideas that can inspire you or at least keep you plugging away. Let’s start here.

What’s good about getting old? 

Old Age- you can’t fight it.

As you probably know, ‘OLD’ is our middle name here at Cantankerous Old Coots. We tray to make it a badge of honor since there is absolutely nothing we can do to change that fact. Still being old carries a lot of baggage. Nobody chooses to grow old. It just happens to be a a fact of life. There is only one thing you can do to stop getting older and the finality of doing it causes most of us to accept our fate. We make all kinds of rationalizations about getting old, trying to pretend that there is actually something good about it. It is a futile exercise but we are drawn to the effort. We want to believe even while trying to remember what it was like when all your body parts worked and the future excited you. Well today’s lead article make the case that having an old brain makes up for all that you have lost. I’m not buying it, you understand but it takes your mind from thinking about getting older or the even more unpleasant alternative.

The aging brain: Why getting older just might be awesome

Back to reality. Do you read crime novels? Reading fiction about more interesting lives is a diversion many enjoy. Thinking about committing the ‘perfect’ crime is a natural result. Maybe we would never actually attempt that perfect crime but the fantasy of trying can pass many hours. It’s probably a good thing that mystery writers make a pretty good living. Otherwise their fertile imaginations might be directed to real criminal acts. I’ve often wondered whether these writers are ever tempted to take matters into their own hands and whether the law enforcement establishment would be able to catch them if they did. Today’s second story suggests that real crime may be more difficult than the made up ones in the novels.

California Mom Accused Of Planting Drugs In Volunteer’s Car Wrote Novel About ‘Perfect Crime’

Finally just one more story I can’t resist. Every day we all get bombarded with self- improvement ideas. Who of us is perfect. We could all lose a few pounds, get in better shape, learn a new skill, be a better person. You know what I mean. It’s the American curse. We are just never good enough. There is always one more thing to do before we are who we want to be. Meanwhile, we put life on hold because until we get it all right, there is no point in moving on. Well what it we are good enough right now? What if the opportunities we pass on because we are too busy making that final tweak before reaching perfection will never come again? What if we don’t even try living while we are getting ourselves right?

What if?

So that’s the news for this week. CNS hopes that the stories made you think. As you probably know, when you get old, thinking is about all you have left.