America in all its Glory

Mabry Mill, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia

What a gorgeous shot of Mabry Mill in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Virginia). Such a peaceful, serene setting.

Sitting on the edge of the water. Taking a worm and baiting it on the hook of a line that is attached to a long, thin tree branch. Gently "cast" the line into the water. Now to sit quietly, watching the dragonflies skip across the surface of the calm water. Listening to the frogs calling to one another. All the thoughts of your daily life are no longer with you - all you are thinking about at this moment is the beauty of the trees, where they simply meld into the banks of the water.

Who cares if you ever get a nibble on your line. Just to enjoy this moment that you will never live again. That is life!

Every crime committed by an illegal immigrant should never have happened!!!


Read my posting under Illegal Immigrants.

A quote from President Theodore Roosevelt addressed on immigration in 1907:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Monday, July 23, 2007

World's 'worst Elephant Man case' will have operation to remove shocking tumor


A man from China is to undergo surgery this week to remove a massive tumor from his face which has crippled and ostracised him from society.
Huang Chuncai, a 31-year-old from the southern Hunan province, suffers from the world's worst recorded case of neurofibroma.
Patients who suffer from the disease are often called "elephant" people, as the tumour builds an elephant-like face.

Huang's tumor, which weighs 15 kilogrammes (33 pounds), has put such pressure on his body that it has deformed his backbone, stunted his growth and left him in continual pain. The tumor first became noticable when he turned four and as he grew up, it just became bigger and bigger. Huang quit school when he was 10 years old because his classmates laughed and alienated him because of his condition.
All of his teeth fell off at the age of 25 and thereafter, he found it difficult to speak and eat.

Several years ago, a circus approached his father to buy his son for holding "monster performances" at pier, station and tourist area, but his parents refused. A reporter in Hunan who knew of Huang's case contacted Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital, which has a team of doctors specialised in alleviating the disease. Huang was sent to hospital last year.

Huang Weicai, his 23-year-old brother, told AP Television that he wanted to see his sibling enjoy life more. But he added that Huang was worried that the complicated operation would fail.

The doctor in charge of the operation said that the operation would not be without risk. "There are many large blood vessels in the root of the tumour. If the large blood vessel is broken and becomes uncontrollable, incessant bleeding might occur," Niu Lizhi told AP Television.

Huang's parents are farmers unable to afford the cost of the medical treatment, but the hospital offered to help to reduce the cost of the operation.
The hospital also tries to raise money for Huang.

No comments: