Article #75
_July 2010_
“Freedom”
Hello
Classmates,
Happy Fourth of July! I thought it would
be appropriate to discuss Freedom, during this month of
our
Independence, two
thousand and ten. There are many words connected with freedom: the
state of being free; at liberty rather than in confinement, exemption
from external control, interference, regulation; political or national
independence; personal liberty as opposed to bondage or slavery; etc.
You all know those, and many more. I would submit to you that we don’t
need to know what the dictionary has summoned up; but, what does Freedom
mean to you on a personal, spiritual, family, country, etc. daily basis?
I know, many times it brought me to my knees, on the tarmac or ground,
and manifested itself as a verbal comment, “Thank You God;” a kiss on
whatever my feet were touching; a tear(s) of joy; and hugs of joy with
my loved ones. Freedom is one word that provokes a myriad of sensations
on each one of us. Books have been written, great men and women have
talked about it, wars have been fought over it, but in the end, it is
much easier to describe what Freedom isn’t... IT ISN’T FREE.
In July’s Newsletter each article will be
divided with a famous quote from one of our Country’s Founding Fathers
(picked at random, no relationship with the article). Some of July’s
Articles will reinforce how we received our Freedoms and some thoughts
on those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us. The use of our first
amendment, will allow Classmates to put into print their articles for us
to read. Throughout the Newsletter we will have other articles from new
bike technology, friends, life and death, the power of time, funny
happenings, a new brain, and of course, our monthly dose of airplane and
animal subjects.
Las Vegas is now into
Summer and the temperature has the “Freedom” to stay in the triple
digits for a couple of months; but, remember it is a dry heat, we are
the ones that are wet
-
perspiration
-
make that SWEAT!
Hooah & Hugs,
Bob
“If angels were to
govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would
be necessary. In framing a government that is to be administered by men
over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the
government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to
control itself.” James Madison
“Kings Firecrackers”
(What better way to start off a July
Newsletter?)
Contributed by Stevie (Graham) Kim
http://blip.tv/play/Ae+9MJOSSA
“Our peculiar security is in the
possession of a written Constitution. Let us not make it a blank paper
by construction.” Thomas Jefferson to Wilson Nicholas, 1803
“Breakfast with Ginger”
Contributed by Gary Rocklage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaAVZ2yXDBo
“Remember, democracy never lasts long.
It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a
democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” John Adams 1814
“You
Could Have Heard A Pin Drop”
Contributed by Bob Graham
You may have seen
some of these before. Don't know if they are all true, but I like them
and they are at home in the July Newsletter, so...here's a refresher on
how some of our former patriots handled negative comments about our
country:
JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was
in France in the early 60's when De Gaulle decided to pull out of NATO.
De Gaulle said he wanted all
US military out of
France as soon as possible. Rusk responded, "Does that include those who
are buried here?" De Gaulle did not respond.
You could have heard a pin drop.
When in England, at a fairly large
conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if
our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George
Bush. He
answered by saying, "Over the years, the
United States has
sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for
freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked
for in return is enough to bury those that did
not return."
You could have heard a pin drop.
There was a conference in
France where a number
of international engineers were taking part, including French and
American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into
the room saying, "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He
has sent an aircraft carrier
to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do,
bomb them?" A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our
carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred
people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical
power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity
to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several
thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry
half a dozen
helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from
their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France
have?"
You could have heard a pin drop.
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval
conference that included Admirals from the U.S.., English, Canadian,
Australian and French Navies At a cocktail reception, he found himself
standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from
most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they
sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that,
whereas Europeans learn many languages,
Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that we always
have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking
French?" Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's
because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you
wouldn't have to speak German."
You could have heard a pin drop.
AND THIS STORY FITS
RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of
83, arrived in
Paris by plane. At
French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his
carry on. "You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs
officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to
France previously.
"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready." The American
said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival
in France !" The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on
D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single
Frenchmen to show a passport to."
You could have heard a pin drop.
I am proud to be of this land,
AMERICA!
“Do not separate text from historical
background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the
Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of
illegitimate government.” James Madison
[Submitted internet video is not longer available.
Sorry - but I didn't want to delete quote below! B]
“They that can give up essential
liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor
safety.” Benjamin Franklin
“Handle With Care”
Contributed by Sharen (Perreault) Garnett
I held a friendship in my hands
A cup of crystal loveliness
From which I drank, in times of need
To give me strength or share a joy
I dropped the cup from out my hands
It slipped away unnoticed
through weeks and months of negligence
I didn't guess until it lay
In pieces at my feet
I could of held it by a word
A thoughtful card or note
But nothing now, I know
Can give it shape again
My hands are empty, and my heart
and the friendship-lies shattered at my
feet.
“Those who expect to reap the benefits
of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”
Thomas Paine
“Oh Crap”
Contributed by Sharon (Freitas) Peros
[ Times when it's
okay to say "Oh, Crap!" Photos are not Sharon's original submissions -
just internet replacements with somewhat the same effect!]
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet,
as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it,
Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me,
give me liberty or give me death!” Patrick Henry to the Virginia House
of Burgesses, 1775
“Trade In That Old Brain For A New One”
Contributed by Richard D. Trafton, Ph.D.
(Our Classmate... yes we have another author from that Special Class of
1964 - get reconnected)
I will extract some items from Rich’s
website so you can get an idea what his new book is all about. After
that Dr. Trafton will tell you himself, about his research and studies
via video about the factors that make it so truly difficult to create
lasting change. The items I have read are very interesting and I
definitely found out that I should have traded in my old brain a long
time ago, for an improved, “New Brain For Business.”
Richard S. Trafton (Aragon Graduate of
1964) bio follows:
Rich has a Ph.D. in Psychology and over
30 years applying the best principles of psychology to the workplace. In
addition to research positions in psychometrics and human behavior, he
has also worked in line and staff positions in the corporate world, as
well as holding faculty positions in business and psychology. Most
recently, Rich was the General Manager of the
Los Angeles office of
a large global consulting firm, where he grew the office by 25% in less
than two years.
For all of you Classmates still calling
California home,
Rich’s - The New Brain for Business Institute (TNB4BI my acronym, not
his) is located in La Jolla, California. His website address is:
http://www.newbrainforbusiness.com/ or his personal e-mail is
Rich@newbrainforbusiness.com
At The New Brain for Business Institute,
they translate good science into good business. They will partner with
you to deliver customized engagements with the goal of driving business
performance and building more effective organizations.
The New Brain for Business Institute
displays the following areas of expertise:
• individual and organization change
• people at work
• meaningful work
• high sustainable performance
• organization design
• leadership
• evolutionary psychology
Their method is to partner with
organizations in several ways. These include, but are not limited to:
• conducting a clear assessment of the
issue(s) they are struggling with to identify a New Brain perspective on
the drivers and constraints of change
• working together to create models of
change that will propagate throughout the organization
• helping clients apply the best
thinking and best information to a particular business challenge
• engaging in a variety of approaches
that identify and implement solutions they did not see, solutions they
saw but did not know how to implement, or solutions they couldn’t
implement because of discomfort
Some examples of their impact on
organizations are:
• business results increase
• morale increases
• bickering is reduced
• better decisions are made
• better alignment is sustained
• fewer territorial squabbles occur
• more enthusiastically committed people
drive the business
Now that you know about the institute’s
area of expertise, their methods of operation, and just some of the
impact it can have on you and your business...it is time for Rich to
incapsulate a segment from his book, “A New Brain For Business,”
in a short four minute video (on the home page of the website, scroll
down about half way on the page and click the arrow - take it away
Rich).
http://www.newbrainforbusiness.com/
“Change is Hard -The
Power of Personal Momentum
“God grants liberty only to those who
love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.” Daniel Webster
(1834)
“Westjet Flight Announcements”
(Where is MarySue when you need her?)
Contributed by Bruce Ahlvin
West Jet home office is in Calgary,
Alberta. West Jet airline attendants make an effort to make the 'safety
lecture' and announcements a bit more entertaining. Bruce has about two
dozen of these great announcements, so we will spread them out over the
upcoming Newsletters. Here are some real examples that were reported,
“Enjoy your flight”:
• 'There may be 50 ways to leave your
lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane.'
• 'Thank you for flying West Jet
Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we
enjoyed taking you for a ride.'
• After a particularly rough landing
during thunderstorms in Ontario, a flight attendant on a West Jet
flight announced, 'Please take care when opening the overhead
compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything
has shifted.'
• Heard on a West Jet Airline flight.
'Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on
this airplane is on the wing. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em.'
• Part of a flight attendant's arrival
announcement: 'We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today.
And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the
skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of West Jet
Airways.'
• A plane was taking off from the
Winnipeg Airport .
After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an
announcement over the intercom, 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your
captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from Winnipeg
to Montreal . The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have
a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax...OH, MY GOD!'
Silence followed, and after a few
minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, 'Ladies and
Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to
you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in
my lap. You should see the front of my pants!' A passenger in Coach
yelled, 'That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!'
*Remember when you fly, these
announcements are just a few of what you may hear; talk to you again in
August, with a half dozen more intercom messages. “Out of the clear
blue western sky, comes…Sky King!” Penny, Clipper, and I will take the
Songbird back to the Flying Crown Ranch and be flying your way next
month, King out!
“If ye love wealth greater than
liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest
for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor
your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains
set lightly upon you; and may posterity forget that ye were our
countrymen.” Samuel Adams
“86,400 – Something to Think About!”
Contributed by Bonita Beck
Imagine that you had won the following
prize in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in
your private account for your use. However, this prize had rules, just
as any game has certain rules.
The first set of rules would be:
1. Everything that you didn't spend
during each day would be taken away from you.
2. You may not simply transfer money into
some other account.
3. You may only spend it.
Each morning upon awakening, the bank
opens your account with another $ 86,400.00 for that day.
The second set of rules:
1. The bank can end the game without
warning; at any time it can say, "It's over, the game is over!"
2. It can close the account and you will
not receive a new one.
What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you
wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love,
right? Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly
spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and
use it all, right?
ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS REALITY!! Each of
us is in possession of such a "magical" bank. We just can't seem to see
it. THE MAGICAL BANK IS TIME!
Each awakening morning we receive 86,400
seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any
remaining time is NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived up that day
is forever lost. Yesterday is forever gone. Each morning the account
is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any
time...WITHOUT WARNING. WELL, what will you do with your 86,400
seconds?
Aren't they worth so much more than the
same amount in dollars? Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker
than you think. So take care of yourself, and enjoy life!
Here's wishing you a wonderfully
beautiful day!!!
“The preservation of the sacred fire
of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of government, are
justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the
experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” George
Washington
“Two Horses”
(Author Unknown)
Contributed by Maggie (Tubia) Horwitz
Just up the road from
my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse
looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by,
you will notice something quite amazing....Looking into the eyes of one
horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have
him put down, but has made a good home for him. If you stand nearby and
listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the
source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse
in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets
the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you
stand and watch these two friends, You'll see that the horse with the
bell is always checking on the blind horse, And that the blind horse
will listen for the bell and then slowly walk To where the other horse
is, Trusting that he will not be led astray. When the horse with the
bell returns To the shelter of the barn each evening, It stops
occasionally and looks back, Making sure that the blind friend isn't too
far behind to hear the bell.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being
guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way...
good friends are like that... You may not always see them, but you know
they are always there.
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen
for yours.
"A government big
enough to give you everything you want,
is big enough to take away everything you
have." Thomas Jefferson
“Libby, the Seeing-Eye Cat”
(Great Animal Story)
Contributed by Pege Graham
http://www.animalintelligence.org/2008/08/14/libby-the-seeing-eye-cat/
“It is the duty of the patriot to
protect his country from its government.”
Thomas Paine 1737-1809
“Interesting Idea”
Contributed by Charlene (Wiper) Swenson
http://almostfearless.com/2010/06/03/the-secret-powers-of-time/
“Before a standing army can rule, the
people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe.
The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword;
because the whole body of people are armed, and constitute a force
superior to any body of regular troops that can be, on any pretense,
raised in the United States.” Noah Webster
“A “Johnny” in the Classroom, with Honesty”
Contributed by Bonita Beck
This brought some laughter on a
very cold and rainy Spring day.
Our teacher asked us what our favorite
animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken." She said I wasn't funny, but
she couldn't have been right, 'cause everyone else in the class laughed.
My parents told me to always be truthful
and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad
what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA. He
said they love animals very much. I do, too. Especially chicken, pork
and beef.
Anyway, my teacher sent me to the
principal's office. I told him what happened, and he laughed too. Then
he told me not to do it again.
The next day in class my teacher asked me
what my favorite live animal was. I told her it was chicken. She asked
me why, just like she'd asked the other children. So I told her it was
because you could make them into fried chicken.
She sent me back to the principal's
office again. He laughed, and told me not to do it again.
I don't understand. My parents taught me
to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am. Today, my
teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.
I told her, "Colonel Sanders". Guess
where I am now...
"Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
~ Mark Twain
“Where Liberty
dwells, there is my country.” Benjamin Franklin
“A Look Back to Vietnam, 35 Years Ago”
Contributed by Vietnam Veterans
http://blogs.denverpost.com/...
“The issue today is the same as it has
been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern
himself or be ruled by a small elite.” Thomas Jefferson
“You Can’t “Dodge” Old Glory”
Contributed by Dodge
http://www.youtube.com/v/JMRMW1FXSHw
“My reading of history convinces me
that most bad government results from too much government.” Thomas
Jefferson
“Bedtime Song”
Contributed by Bruce Ahlvin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31bT6VQvnxE
“To say that a bad government must be
established for fear of anarchy is really saying that we should kill
ourselves for fear of dying.” Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), Member of
Continental Congress, Signer of the Declaration of
Independence, U.S.
Senator
"Rolling Thunder and The United States of America"
Contributed by the USA
No matter if it is Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, or any
other day; this is what it is all about. Turn up your volume, and
watch this video with your heart, and your eyes will fill with liquid
pride. God Bless The United States of America!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lMzZNIw9KY&NR=1
Don’t Forget:
Happy Birthday and Anniversary
to all July Classmates
[Three candles to represent the past, the present and the future!]
July Dates to Remember:
1 - Financial Freedom Day
2 - Civil Rights Act, 1926
3 - Idaho became the 43rd state, 1890
4 - Independence Day
5 - 26th Amendment passed (voting age at
18), 1971
6 - Republican Day, formed in 1854 (the
Democratic Party was formed in 1792)
7 - Chocolate Day
8 - Wall Street Journal premiers, 1889
9 - Rock N Roll Day
10 - Wyoming became the 44th state, 1890
11 - The movie “Beach Blanket Bingo”
opened in 1965
12 - Bill Cosby was born, 1937
13 - Cheech Marin was born, 1946
14 - Pandemonium Day
15 - Gummi Worm Day
16 - District of Columbia was
established, 1790
17 - Disneyland opened, 1955
18 - Chrysanthemum Day
19 - Fitch Day (From an old custom from
long ago whereby bacon was given to married couples who could prove they
had lived in harmony and fidelity for one year.
Very few “took home the
bacon.”)
20 - Moon Day, first man on the moon,
Neil A. Armstrong, 1969
21 - National Hot Dog Day
22 - William Dafoe born, 1955
23 - National Vanilla Ice Cream Day
24 - Cousins Day
25 - Walter Brennan born, 1894
26 - All or Nothing Day
27 - Korean War Veterans’ Armistice Day
28 - Accountant’s Day
29 - Prince Charles and Lady Diane were
married, 1981
30 - Father-In-Law Day
31 - The first patent in the United
States was registered, 1790
(To Samuel Hopkins for an improvement in
the making of Pot ash and Pearl ash).
“Nothing gives one person so much
advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all
circumstances.” Thomas Jefferson
Keep Your Fork...”64,
Bob Graham
PS - Thank You Classmates, I hope you all
have a great Fourth, and the rest of the month of July! Stay healthy
and safe, and stay connected - talk to you in August.
