what a 100 billion stars looks like

http://images.gizmag.com/hero/hubble-andromeda.jpg

NASA Releases high resolution photo Of The Andromeda Galaxy

--a glimpse of the immense scale of our nearest galactic neighbor!

Get ready to feel very, very, very tiny.
Absolutely mind blowing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udAL48P5NJU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Also watch: Tour of the Andromeda galaxy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWxBTHVhc3I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

How long before the Milky Way fuses with Andromeda?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LwWdfxUuuY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WEI8WBJkKk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

"Middle class" economics vs "trickle up" economics

Excerpted from Obama's State of the Union 2015 report:

"It’s now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and for decades to come.Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?

"middle-class economics" means.... lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.

These ideas won’t make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship. That’s not the job of government. To give working families a fair shot, we’ll still need more employers to see beyond next quarter’s earnings and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company’s long-term interest. We still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give American workers a voice. But things like child care and sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage — these ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families. 
Let’s close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad, and reward those that invest in America. Let’s use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and make it more attractive for companies to bring jobs home. Let’s simplify the system and let a small business owner file based on her actual bank statement, instead of the number of accountants she can afford. And let’s close the loopholes that lead to inequality by allowing the top one percent to avoid paying taxes on their accumulated wealth. We can use that money to help more families pay for childcare and send their kids to college. We need a tax code that truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and we can achieve that together.

Terror in the name of a prophet

Terrorism in the name of Islam 

To use the expression of a few insensitive symbpls/words/cartoons as a justification for murder is perverse. > > To justify the killing of innocent people in the name of one's religion is to pervert the true tenets and values of one's faith. > > Some people have come to the conclusion that all terrorists are Muslims. ..and therefore all Muslims are terrorists.This kind of generalization is narrow-minded and results in the unfair stereotyping of the entire group > > 
.Islam--like all religions--is a peace-loving faith.
Unfortunately there is an extremist/fanatical/fundamentalist segment within the Muslims who seek to further their political goals by interpreting scripture for their own selfish purposes...and they justify killing those who disagree with them (including mainstream Muslims who denounce them). > > .In the same way emperor Constantin used Christianity to consolidate his power in the Roman Empire.The IRA used Catholicism in Northern Ireland to kill Protestants.In India, Hindus murdered the Muslims. > > Throughout human history countless other groups around the world have used their religion to advance their political ambitions...and have comitted all manner of atrocities in the name of theirwrong understanding of God. > > Some people have come to the conclusion that it is "religion" itself (rather than religious zealotry/fanaticism) that is responsible for most of the conflict and suffering in human history. > > But this is putting the cart before the horse. 
(for an insightful analysis of religion and war read "Fields of Blood" by Karen Armstrong)
Every revolution, power struggle,and war seeks to justify its cause through religious validation: > > "Our fight is a holy fight! > > God is on our side!" > >

God is not on the side of anyone who kills his creatures! >

**********************
Read this letter (page A11) titled:"Debating the extent of extremist support" > > > > http://issuu.com/blackpress/docs/i20150114050208975/1?e=1205826/10938578 

I do not know how accurate the numbers are that are presented in this letter(statistics are vulnerable to distortion and can be used to justify Islamaphobia)

However amongst the billion people that embrace the Muslim religion are a high proportion of deprived uneducated poor who feel oppressed and are readily manipulated, indoctrinated, and radicalized. 
Wrong beliefs lead to wrong actions and a wrong life! 

Oppressed creatures out of desperation will often resort to violence in their quest for justice! > > > > Extremist groups like ISIS are attractive to the ecomlmically and socially marginalized.
To counter this radicalization movement we must strive to reintegrate the marginalized back into mainstream society (through jobs and education).

inspirational quotes from Mother Teresa

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/838305.Mother_Teresa


Watch : "Life--we only get one!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n1qrhmpv2M&feature=youtube_gdata_player