The weather that we have experienced so far this winter has me harkening back to our first Missouri snowfall, last winter. Being Texans, it was a big deal to us, and since it was a very mild winter last year, it was the only accumulating snowfall that we had as a family.

Recently, I watched a documentary entitled Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, which showed actual footage of Muslim extremists and their religious leaders using classic propaganda techniques to inflame their followers to hate Westerners, particularly Israelis, Americans and the British.

The ability to turn raw materials from out of the ground into manufactured finished goods was, at one time, a great national asset of America and Britain.

Are you a gambler? "No!" most people would say: "I don't go to casinos or play the lottery, or bet the horses." This is a good thing, since common sense tells you that the house always wins.

But, do you play the odds in other ways? This thought came to mind as I observed three young adults smoking cigarettes as they enjoyed an animated conversation outside a convenience store. They were young, apparently healthy people, not concerned about the consequences of their actions.

My wife and I recently returned from camping in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. We will never forget our first visit to the Smokies over 35 years ago. What a sight!