R-P: Various Views

REPRINTED from here: http://theweathercontinues.blogspot.mx/2014/03/various-views.html

Puerto Vallarta sunset from my window last night.

Scott Kenan shared Unreal Americans's photo.

8 hours ago

To all those who've been trashing Obama's handling of Putin, please remember this:

In 2001, President George Bush said of Vladimir Putin: “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country.”

Scott Kenan shared A Mighty Girl's photo.

5 hours ago

"The Nazis called them 'Night Witches' because the whooshing noise their plywood and canvas airplanes made reminded the Germans of the sound of a witch’s broomstick (Most interesting is the CONFIDENCE of the Germans -- that they KNEW the sound of witches on broomsticks, no???). The Russian women who piloted those planes, onetime crop dusters, 

took it as a compliment. In 30,000 missions over four years, they dumped 23,000 tons of bombs on the German invaders, ultimately helping to chase them back to Berlin. Any German pilot who downed a 'witch' was awarded an Iron Cross.

These young heroines, all volunteers and most in their teens and early 20s, became legends of World War II but are now largely forgotten. Flying only in the dark, they had no parachutes, guns, radios or radar, only maps and compasses. If hit by tracer bullets, their planes would burn like sheets of paper."

So begins a NY Times tribute to one of the most famous "Night Witches," Nadezhda Popova, pictured here. Popova, who flew 852 missions during the war, passed away this past year at the age of 91. To read more about her incredible story, visithttp://nyti.ms/JbnOMC

While there aren't any books available for young readers about these courageous women, there are several books for older readers about the role of Russian women combat pilots during WWII including "Flying for Her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II" (http://amzn.to/1mTMad9), "Wings, Women, and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat" (http://amzn.to/1fyPOs8), "A Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in World War II" (http://amzn.to/1jJb79N), "Red Sky, Black Death: A Soviet Woman Pilot's Memoir of the Eastern Front" (http://amzn.to/NhxvM4).

For an excellent documentary for ages 10 and up about the WASPs, the American women flyers of WWII, check out "Fly Girls," athttp://www.amightygirl.com/american-experience-fly-girls

For more true stories of courageous women heroes of WWII, check out the inspiring book for ages 13 and up "Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue" at http://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-ii

For two highly recommended novels, both for ages 13 and up, about women resistance fighters of WWII, check out "Code Name Verity" (http://www.amightygirl.com/code-name-verity) and "Rose Under Fire" (http://www.amightygirl.com/rose-under-fire).

For stories for all ages about girls and women living through the WWII period, visit our "WWII / Holocaust" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography/history-world?cat=186

And, to introduce your kids to more famous female flyers like Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman, and Harriet Quimby, visit A Mighty Girl's "Planes" section athttp://www.amightygirl.com/books/general-interest/transportation?cat=129

BLOGGER is SCREWING with my service or my computer again, adding this giant space that I can't get rid of or do much with, so here is something to PUT IN IT:





Continuing on next post as the HACKERS have corrupted this one beyond my ability to fix!!!