Memorial Day — Just a vacation? Rememebering the cost of freedom.
Jim emailed me a special tribute to his shipmates and friends who gave their lives so we could live free. Their sacrifice was the ultimate. I’d like to take this time to add a moving comment that he wrote, which you might have missed. But first, I’d like to challenge you to ask yourself two very important questions:
- “Do I appreciate the men and women of our Armed Forces?”
- “Do I understand that they are willing to give their life to secure and further the freedoms that are outlined within the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the USA?”
If the answer is, “Yes and yes!” then we will continue to make Memorial Day and the sacrifice of those who have fallen; significant and meaningful, otherwise it’s just another day off of work.
Jim’s comment found in Moths, Man and Mao on May 7th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
A long time ago, I sat in a tiny room in the bowels of an aircraft carrier and wrote four letters to the families of squadronmates who had just been killed fighting in a war.
I felt a mass of warring emotions; Sorrow, shock, guilt and anger.
As I thought of the families of my fallen comrades I felt how deeply they would mourn the loss of their loved ones. How young wives, small children, and aged parents would cling to one another and search for causes of their pain. Yes, there was sorrow.
That morning they had flown off the ship on a mission. Something we did everyday. And that night………..they were no longer with us. The shock of such sudden death strikes deep in the core of your being. You know the risks, you know it can happen, but you push it to the back of your mind. But you are still………..shocked!
You wonder why. Why them? I’ve flown the same type missions. I’ve seen the black smudges of ack, ack. I knew they were aiming for me……..for us all. Why did I survive? What does it mean? Why them….all better men than I. So, there was guilt writ large.
Thank you Jim for your service and for your continued commitment to freedom. Your comrades will not be forgotten.
Memorial Day, 2007. Gone, but not forgotten. Shipmates, friends, and family who died while doing their duty. They are in my thoughts, particularly on this day. Join me in remembering them and honoring all who died in service to this wonderful country.
LTJG M. D. McMican
LTJG. Gerry Romano
AE-3 Bill Amspacher
ATN-2 Tom Plants
LCDR Gerry Roberts
LCDR Hal Gray
LCDR Dave Monroe
LT. Jim Owenby
1st LT Larry Goreski
“A Veteran’s Eulogy”
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the Gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the mornings hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
~ Author Unknown ~
Carbon Neutral Pawprint
This first video clip has been on YouTube for a while, but it is so delightful I never get tired of having people send it to me.
Then while the music is still fresh in your mind check out a second video production which is a fine parody on a subject that warms my heart.
Finally, I hope you give some equal time to the other side and have a laugh at George W Bush’s expense.
Note: Laugh now because in twenty years he will be considered one of our great presidents. Jimmy Carter will not be on that list. (I was wrong to vote against Reagan…please accept my apologies….I’m reformed now.)
Enjoy!
The Graduate
Yesterday our youngest child graduated. It was a ceremony at the church that sponsors our homeschool co-op. There was sixteen graduates. The whole ceremony was planned by the graduates; music , speeches, and the reading of the letters from the parents. Here is the one I wrote for Eli.
Sometimes I think it’s good to look at acquaintances, friends, and family members as traveling companions. Each day we wake up and before us is a new day of travel through the experiences of life.
Most of the time, like with friends and spouses, we get to choose who joins us as we travel the days. Then, there are the companions who travel with us because God decides we need them in our life. Like children.
Eli, you have been a gift from God from the start. Each day, it’s clear that you are a child God decided we needed. Not one that would always make us feel comfortable, or always good about our parenting abilities, but a wonderful traveling companion that challenges us to be better people, less complacent, and eager to learn more about living each day while growing with God.
As you have grown into a man, you spend less time traveling the days with us and more time with others. That’s natural. Coworkers, teammates, and classmates now share their travels with you.
Again, God is true. The same wonderful effect he has had on our family, he now imparts to others through you. Initially, they probably think of you as a very large quirky guy, with a passion for hard work and having fun. They are not wrong, but there is a surprise which only comes after they travel with you day in and day out for a while.
It’s then that they learn that their friend; Eli, has a huge heart and a special place in their life that God felt they needed filled.
Your mother and I are very proud of you today and look forward to your future travels.
God speed.
Jeep Questions About Global Warming and the New Math
There is a phenomenon that is taking over the hearts and minds of many people. It’s very big with those who feel that mankind’s presence on Earth is the cause of global warming.
There is a lot of concern out there; I know this, because of my connection to young adults. Over the last year, my wife and I have had five college students living with us at various times. Then there are their friends, who come over for assorted activities such as movie nights, jam sessions, pizza parties, ultimate games, the occasional bonfire, two back yard weddings (no shotguns) and just to hangout.
Never shrinking from my quest to learn more, I ask lots of questions. Also, I hear about the class assignments and read many of the term papers “my kids” write. There are two consistent themes which come up more-than-often in class after class, regardless of department. One is immigration and the other is global warming.
One thing that I keep hearing about is “carbon balance.” And since the internet allows us to undo ignorance quickly and sometimes even accurately, I decided to learn more. I was certain last time I sat in a class room; carbon dioxide (CO2) was NOT on the, “Oh my God! This is a bad thing,” list.
No, the environmental science nerds of thirty years ago were concerned with human introduced stuff like: dioxins, lead and other heavy metals, things like sulfur dioxide, spurious radioactive isotopes along with stuff in the wrong place like ozone at street level, heck, we even were troubled by chlorofluorocarbons.
Now I’m learning that we should have shelved all that, and been terrified by mans release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
As I’ve mentioned, I’m always willing to learn new things, so I went to the heart of the problem and learned that indeed, you and I are personally responsible for destroying the world.
But there are things we can do to redeem ourselves. Thank God! All we must do is create a carbon neutral footprint.
Step one: Identify how big a footprint you have.
Step two: Stop everything you do which creates that footprint (Unless you can affort to buy your way out: Carbon Credits)
Step three: Give a copy of Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth” to everyone you know.
For more information, go to Zerofootprint.net. It is a very important (and popular) website which helps polluters people figure out how they can personally and corporately stop destroying the planet with dangerous CO2 emissions.
No, they don’t seem to be calling for mass suicide — yet, but they have some stated objectives which are consistent with the anti-CO2 agenda: First they make it clear they are not-for-profit. They wish to employ:
- “the best of financial engineering”
- “the best of …environmental engineering”
- “the best of …social networking tools”
- “the best of … business intelligence”
Doing this will, “…provide products and services that help” the following “…significantly reduce their environmental footprint.”
- “large corporations”
- “organizations”
- “individuals”
(Note: I shared that with you because I love mission statements and engineering. When I see the two together I cannot resist.)
In the last two days I’ve found out a lot about myself. After finding out my carbon footprint is a little over 12 tonnes. I did some math and was very confused. Here is just one of the many questions which have bounced around my addled brain.
Seems there is a new math thing going on and it is beyond the scope of this post to go into it. However, my first question that I cannot find an answer for is fair game.
I live 1.5 miles from the office and I work four days a week. The rest of the time I’m in a vehicle filled with other people heading somewhere fun or gardening in my back yard.
I recently sold my Jeep. Big, powerful, fun and a certified gas guzzler. Here is my problem. I got 14 miles to the gallon with that vehicle when I drove it sensibly. With the pedal to the metal, the big 360 V-8 would rocket all 3,200 pound of the beast forward at incredible acceleration and I could watch the gas gauge drop as if flushing the toilet. It was fun, irresponsible and hard on the wallet.
My Question: Since I only put about 3,000 miles a year on that Jeep. What is my carbon debt now that I sold it to a guy that lives over 10 miles from his work, intends to use it as his daily driver and on weekend too?
As I look at it, conservatively, he will probably put about 12,000 miles a year on my old Jeep. Let’s pretend he gets the same sensible 14 mpg I did (he wont). Now, I would think that I must take some of the responsibility for the extra carbon footprint created by the addition of 9,000 extra miles per year. I’m I right?
This is what I’m talking about!
I love Hillsdale College. Amazingly, this is the first college I can remember ever hearing about as a very young child. Strange for a kid growing up in Upstate New York to know about a tiny college (even less known in the 1960s) in Michigan.
Each time we went on a family picnic, I’d be told, “Ray, You carry the blanket.” I’d lean into the trunk of the car and pull out a blue-gray wool blanket with tattered white cotton pipping around the edges. The scratchy surface felt good against my arms and I even liked the smell of the wool close to my face.
“Here’s a good spot.” my dad would say. Then, I’d lay out the blanket as I simultaneously fell out onto it. It was easy to tell which side was up as a large canvas crest was stitched onto one corner of the blanket. It was the clock-tower-crest of Hillsdale College, my mom’s alma matter.
It kind of became a family joke. Whenever that blanket came out, we’d likely experience “the Hillsdale encounter.”
“Your mother chased me out of the dorm.” my dad would tease.
“Now Bob. I did not.” Mom would correct.
We never would know whether it was true or not. What we did know is that my dad did take a girl from Hillsdale to a dance during the time that my mother was Resident Assistant in the girls dorm. It was quite possible he was loitering at the door and it was probable that the my mom, the R.A., would have shooed him away just before curfew. Neither remembered for sure, but that never stopped my dad from teasing.
It would be years later that my parents actually met. Another time, another state and since by then, it was after WWII, another world.
So, even though I’ve never personally been there, I have fond memories of Hillsdale College. That’s one reason I enjoy receiving their monthly publication Imprimis. Another is that it is free (which appeals to my Scottish heritage), but most of all I enjoy the consistent perpetuation of excellent content.
For example; this months issue containing an adaptation of a speech delivered by Robert A. Sirico, entitled “Socialism, Free Enterprise, and the Common Good” is fantastic.
Since I’m now an Amateur Economist I found it particularly educational. Filling in the gaps and putting things in perspective… life is so cool!
Graham Kerr is alive and well
Photo circa 1994, long before HIPAA
Graham and his lovely wife Treena moved away from our community a number of years ago. Yet, I’m still asked about him from time to time. Often the question is, “I don’t hear about him anymore. Is he still alive?”
Trust me, when he does go to be with Jesus (which is where he is going) everybody will know. Graham has made a tremendous impact on this world. He continues to lead a life that is committed to helping others and he will be honored for that and remembered fondly.
I’d rather speak fondly of him now and honor him for helping others while he is alive and well. Graham has been a personal friend and mentor for years. We met exactly fifteen years ago. So, in recognition of that anniversary, I want to share with you a story I wrote, which was published in Today’s Chiropractic.
While first published in the March/April 1994 issue, this article is not out of date. Even today it touches the essence of Graham’s zest for life and interest in living fully for others — timeless.
Legal Note: See comments
Bon Appétit: Graham Kerr: Health and Food
by Ray Pope D.C.
While in chiropractic college, I heard a professor once say, “Treat regular folk as if they are famous people and famous people like they’re regular folk.” The first half of that advice swerved me well for years, but it was not until June 1992 that I had the opportunity to implement the latter half of that wise saying.
It was then I met Graham Kerr.
His wife, Treena, called to make an appointment. I recognized a pleasant English accent, but the name Graham Kerr made no impact at all. Later that day, a Chrysler LeBaron convertible drove up to my office. As an active middle-aged couple got out of the car, my wife asked, “Do you know who that is?”
Before I could recall the name I had been given over the telephone, she swooned, exclaiming “That’s the Galloping Gourmet!”
As a youngster, I remember sitting before the television set, totally entertained by this culinary giant. Perhaps it was my mother who tuned in, but I was captivated as this witty young man chopped, diced and sautéed his way into our living room. Never could I have imagined that someday he would literally walk into my adjusting room! page 60 || page 61
Recovery Through Chiropractic
It is hard to imagine Kerr as anything but a gourmet chef buzzing about an immaculate studio kitchen, creating dishes to please both the eye and the palate. Yet, when asked what first led him to a chiropractor, he surprisingly related a story of an injury sustained while he was a commissioned officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The year was 1960. Strong winds make the Wellington Straights a favorite site for sailing in New Zealand, however, the Straights are also known for sudden southerly storms with terrifying gale winds.
A small sailboat, transporting a couple and their young child, could not make it to safety as the winds picked up one day. Large waves began to crash the boat against the rocks of the shore.
Squadron Leader Kerr was there for the rescue, helping the family ashore without incident. However, in the process, he slipped on a rock, which was slick with sea spray, and fell.
The injuries that resulted from the fall caused him excruciating back pain. All the doctors on the military base eventually tried to correct the young officer’s problem. Their treatment consisted of recommending bed rest, prescribing painkillers and even having him lie down on boards. No course of care eased Kerr’s discomfort. Finally, a doctor who specialized in the care of injuries sustained by downed pilots during World War II visited his bedside. The specialist utilized adjustments of the vertebrae to restore proper function to the spine. Within a short period, Kerr’s ailments began to subside. Eventually, his recovery was complete, and he has been a fan of chiropractic ever since.
A Hit on Television
In the early days of New Zealand’s television industry, the Air Force conducted a daily physical fitness program. One day, the drill sergeant who led the program didn’t show up on time. Since the program was a live broadcast, a senior officer ordered Kerr to appear on television in the drill sergeant’s place.
As the chief catering advisor to the Air Force, Kerr did not feel qualified to lead the viewers in exercise. So that day, there was no vigorous workout. Instead, he treated the audience to his spontaneity and humor while preparing a delicious omelet. His TV debut was in uniform, with no apron – which is still a trademark.
It was after a successful national cooking show in Australia that Kerr moved to Canada to film The Galloping Gourmet, a show that caught the world’s attention and quickly became the most successful cooking show on television. His success was largely due to his outrageous, clever and charming manner.
However, it has been said that behind every great man is a great woman. Treena Kerr received two Emmy nominations as Producer of the Year for daytime television.
Overcoming Adversity
Then tragedy struck.
In 1971, a vegetable truck crashed into Kerr’s on-location production vehicle near San Francisco, Calif. Graham became paralyzed on his left side, and Treena suffered complications that resulted in major surgery.
They devoted the next two years to rehabilitation and reordering their lives. After returning to their native country, England, they stayed at the Forest Mere Health Hydro, a world-famous health spa that was featured in the James Bond film Thunderball. From a chiropractic perspective, the most interesting scene in the movie is when the undercover spy Bond (Sean Connery) is given a brief massage by a beautiful female therapist who proceeds to manipulate every bone in his spine.
Fortunately, Graham Kerr’s care was a bit more mild than that given to the secret agent. In a short time, his paralysis abated. However, he still had a problem with dizziness. Literally, he would fall down after eating meals.
A Scottish doctor prescribed a sea voyage for him. The motion of the boat would challenge his sense of balance, and the rigors of life aboard a sailboat was sure to help him regain his strength.
For two years, the Kerrs sailed with their three children 24,000 miles across the Atlantic and throughout the Caribbean. Fully recovered and fit once again, the family returned to the United States.
Helping the Needy
In 1974, a conversion to Christianity led the Kerrs to focus their talents toward helping the less fortunate. They co-founded Creative Lifestyles International, Inc., an organization dedicated to showing people how to live better with less money. The basic principles are simple yet effective: Convert habits that hurt into provisions that heal, and pass the benefits on to the world’s disadvantaged.
Author Ronald Sider, in his book Rich Christians in a Hungry World, cites the Kerrs efforts and loving generosity as exemplary. Due to their ongoing concern for the needy, the Kerrs have improved the lives of many individuals throughout the world.
Although Graham Kerr is not well known for his work in putting food on the tables of the poor, he is widely recognized for his influence on what Americans serve on their dinner table. Page 62
The Joy of Cooking
In his early television programs and popular cookbooks, he led his fans in fabulous creations loaded with saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium and a lot of calories. He even incurred the wrath of Weight Watchers, with the dubious Broken Spoon Award, a distinction he is not proud to have. His work in Creative Lifestyles International began a fundamental change in his approach to food preparation. He saw the need to reduce the dangerous properties of traditional cooking without reducing its enjoyment or creativity.
It was Treena’s heart attack in 1986 that motivated Graham to put his new lifestyle and cooking technique on television. Together, with the American Heart Association, he produced, A Bite With Kerr, a series of 130 spots with tips to encourage healthy eating. He did not stop there. Intensive nutrition research, combined with a lifetime of cooking experience, culminated in the development of the Minimax cooking style – minimum risk with maximum creativity.
Public broadcasting stations across the United States air his highly acclaimed program, Graham Kerr’s Kitchen, a weekly series that illustrates the basic techniques of Minimax cooking. An earlier series, called Graham Kerr, is broadcast twice daily on the Discovery Network. In addition, he continues to enjoy an international audience through The Graham Kerr Show, which is currently aired in the United Kingdom, Europe and New Zealand.
Kerr’s determination to encourage people to eat better can also be found in bookstores across the country. He is a bestselling author, with more than four million books sold. Smart Cooking, published by Doubleday in October 1991, sold 100,000 copies in the first eight weeks. Enthusiasm was so great that Doubleday published the sequel, Graham Kerr’s Minimax Cookbook, just one year later. Putnam Press is currently publishing and impressive third cookbook, Creative Choices.
A Winning Personality
Besides the television series and writing, Kerr keeps busy by producing instructional videos, teaching restaurant chefs and developing kitchen equipment. He is an award-winning member of the distinguished International Association of Culinary Professionals, and he is also a consultant to several private and public groups.
University Synergy, in Cleveland, Ohio, is rapidly gaining national attention with its holistic approach to health and rehabilitation. The center utilizes lifestyle modification and other preventive approaches to maintain and improve health. University Synergy is working with Kerr to develop a comprehensive cooking school which will help patients and others learn how to attack coronary diseases and other conditions through nutrition.
Reflecting in each of Kerr’s endeavors is one thing that always stands out: He loves people and has an interest and compassion for others. He is naturally at ease with other patients in my waiting area. Often, I see him chatting and laughing candidly with other patients. Food may be his business, but it is clear that people are his true delight. I must smile and wonder if he had that same professor. It is obvious that, in Graham Kerr’s mind, everybody is a famous person.
I’m not certain whether it is his past injuries, his healthy lifestyle or his busy schedule that has made him appreciate the value of chiropractic most. No mater the reason, the man who shows the world how to create “great food for great years” knows that regular chiropractic adjustments are essential. Page 63
About
Now here is the second gift in as many days. In the next couple of minutes I’ll give you the short version of what this blog is about.
EarthSuit 101 is for the skeptical thinker who loves the life God gave them. Your earthsuit is your heart, mind and body and you should always be serious about what you do to it. You have to be cautious, as there are people who will gladly mislead you for personal gain. And while most people have good intentions, that in its self is not reason to listen to them. Countless times throughout history, people have been naively led astray.
It’s my hope that EarthSuit 101 will be an antidote to the crazy world in which we live. Please read this blog and check out what I have to say. By all means be critical, scrutinize my work, and challenge my precepts.
And finally I’d like you to comment and/or E-mail me often. But most of all I’m excited that you read EarthSuit 101, because I know, it will change your life for the better.
Here’s to EarthSuit 101 becoming part of you’re your online community. Enjoy!
Not About
This is a brief post of what EarthSuit 101 is not. I just finished the book Blink. It was interesting, about rapid cognition, my only complaint was that it was too long. That’s why I’m going to spend the next minute or two telling you what EarthSuit 101 is not.
This way, it will be quicker for you. To find out what this blog is, you can read every post to date and decide for yourself. So, let me give you a gift. The following is what you wont find at EarthSuit 101.
- Anything Multilevel: I admire people who work at home and those who desire to help others succeed but give me a break!
- Fads: If it sells fast, on a wave of excitement, you won’t find it here. Life is to important to get caught up in such nonsense.
- Trendy followings: I’m not particularly charismatic. Flashy ideas and bling-things that lack substance are not of interest to me.
- Dietary regimes: We all do better when we face the facts. There is no magic diet or mystical food. If you want to lose fat; eat less, move more. Too simple? …find a more complicated blogger.
- Political Correctness: Truth is a constant; anyone who says truth is relative is either a fool or a despot.
