Happy Birthday America: My 20 Things that Makes America Great

US Arm Forces-Happy Birthday, America
Every July 4th, Fortune Magazine makes a list of 100 things that makes America a Great Nation. In this year 100 things, I have identified 20 things that have personal relevance to my life here in America. The first number in list is my ranking and the number in parenthesis is Fortune's number. I added my own comments for each item in the list. How about you? What things in the US makes America Great from your own personal experience and perspective. Here's my list.

1.(1) Opportunity- Yes, indeed I immigrated to US in 1960 because of the word opportunity. I believe I did not make a mistake. Is America still a land of opportunity today?

2.(2) Interstate Highway System- Can you imagine life here in California without the highways?( freeways).

3.(10) Microsoft Word- Without Microsoft word you would not be reading this blog

4.(23) Bill and Melinda Gates-What else could I add to the numerous articles about this couple? Famous and Philanthropic are the words that can describe them

5.(25) The Mississippi River-the longest river in the world. I have been to the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in St Louis, Missouri and that is an awesome place to visit.

6.(26) Ben and Jerry- The best cone ice cream in America.

7.(28) Self stick stamps- it was so messy mailing your letters before someone invented this item. Did a post office employee invented this? I doubt it.

8.(29) Boeing 747-Makes air travel a pleasure once you pass the TSA security procedures in the airport.

9.(47) Glee- one of my top ten TV show. Enjoy the show especially when Charice was a guest star

10.(53) Gatorade- the sports drink that everybody likes

11.(55) Times Square- A place to visit specially on New Years Eve. Been to this place twice but not on New Years Eve.

12.(58) 60 Minutes-another TV program in my watch list


13.(63) Grand Canyon-One of the most beautiful places in the world. Have visited only once, but would like to come back.

14.(64) US Arm Forces- This should be Number 1 according to a radio commentator, because of them we have the number 1 item. But without #1, I will not be writing this, so my item #1 remains my number 1 in the list.

15. (82) Blogging-Life would indeed be boring if the word blogging is erased in my vocabulary

16. (83) Politician who Tweets- Is Weiner a dirty word? It depends on your frame of mind for that particular moment.

17. (90) Starbucks- It starts my day right!

18. (95) Steven Spielberg- Another one of my favorite celebrities. Who can forget ET?

19. (98) Jeopardy- I love trivia, thus I love this TV show.

20. (99) Pulitzer Prize- This made me aware of this prize when a Filipino Illegal-immigrant journalist from California won this prize just recently

For the complete list (100 items) see Fortune's Magazine issue July 3, 2011. Happy July 4th to All! From the GrandPa Blogger!