On December 11, 2008, the bones of Caylee Marie Anthony were discovered in a wooded area on the south side of Suburban Drive, in Orlando. Precisely one year later, her mother will be fighting for her own life in front of Orange County Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland, when her defense attorneys argue that the state was wrong for seeking the death penalty.

In their motion filed in September, Casey Anthony’s lawyers claimed that state prosecutors do not have a legitimate interest or enough aggravating circumstances to recommend a penalty of death against her. This is an interesting motion because the brunt of evidence is circumstantial. However, it’s hardly precedent setting. There have been many cases where defendants have been convicted and subsequently executed based on nothing more than circumstantial evidence. Think of “Bruno” Richard Hauptmann, executed in 1936 for the kidnapping and death of the son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh. Hauptmann’s trial took place in Flemington, New Jersey, my hometown. Called “The Crime of the Century,” I have studied the case extensively. Perhaps, it’s the reason why I have such a keen interest in what will probably be dubbed “The Crime of the 21st Century,” transpiring before me in my adopted hometown of Orlando.

Two other motions will be heard that day and they pertain to recording videos made of Casey at the Orange County Jail. Her defense wants the judge to prohibit officials from recording her visits with them. Jail spokesman Allen Moore said that these types of recordings are routine and they follow corrections policies. They are for the protection of the inmates and their attorneys.

“Our recording system in that part of the jail does not have the ability to record audio,” Moore said. “We have followed jail policies and rules very carefully and directly and we intend to continue do so. We will attempt to accommodate Mr. Baez, but never outside of jail policy.”

The visits between attorney Jose Baez and Casey are usually held in a classroom that is always digitally videotaped without audio.

In the other jail related motion, Baez asked the court to “destroy any and all video or audio tapes or reports or other records in its possession memorializing meetings between Miss Anthony and her attorneys.”

Please don’t squeeze the inmate

Sometimes, a corrections officer is stationed outside the classroom or in one of the monitoring rooms where jail personnel can only watch the meetings and this is standard procedure for all inmates. Normally, no reports are ever filed. However, in October, 2008, personnel warned Baez that he was not allowed to touch his clients after officers saw him hugging Casey. Moore said that jail policy forbids any kind of touching between visitors and inmates.

Also, if you recall, a video was shot last year on the day her daughter’s remains were found. Corrections Officer, Lt. Tammy Unger, told OCSO detectives that Casey began to breathe rapidly, her hands became sweaty and red blotches appeared on her neck after hearing the news on TV. She also requested a sedative. Her defense team didn’t want the video to be released to the media. Although it contained no audio, they argued successfully that it could be misleading and it violated her right to medical privacy. Judge Strickland concurred and he sealed the video in June.

I will attempt to go to this hearing. If I do, you will read a first-hand account of my experience.

Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes but by the opposition he encountered and the courage he maintained in his struggle against it.
-Charles Lindbergh

How do you measure success? What’s something that you have accomplished, whether big or small, that you consider a success? What struggles did you overcome to achieve it?

This is my last post about the Lindbergh party. In addition to the items mentioned in my last two posts, I have an envelope addressed to a person who attended the party:

Sent on 8/26/1931 via express mail. Also a seating chart:

On the reverse of this is an order of the proceedings written in Japanese. Finally, 2 more documents complete the group. One is a sheet that must have come with the invitation, as it lists the price and the way to respond to the invitation. (Male guests had to pay 10 yen and females 5 yen.) There was also a notice stating that the dining room was full and that members who want to take part in the dinner had to sit in a separate room. That must have been disappointing, since the whole point of the dinner was to see and hear the famous Charles Lindbergh.

I hope you have been interested in this little set I found.

Part 2 of Lindbergh’s dinner party.

Here are the next 2 pages:

The left side reads ‘Order of the Evening. During the Dinner, Address by Prince Iyesato Tokugawa. Response by Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh. Presentation of Souvenir. After the Dinner, ”Hashi Benkei,” ”Musume Dojoji,” America-Japan Dance.’

The right side shows the menu for the evening, and it included spring shicken, steamed duck, and broiled ayu fish. I would have loved to be there.

The final page describes the two plays that followed the dinner.

In my next few posts I’d like to show you something really interesting I discovered the other day. I found a set of papers relating to Charles Lindbergh’s dinner party in Japan in 1931. If any readers do not know who Lindbergh is, please read the introductory essay on him in Wikipedia HERE.

This dinner party was held on August 29, 1931 in Tokyo. Although there is no information on this in the aforementioned Wikipedia entry, Lindbergh and his wife made a trip to the East, including Kunashir Island (claimed by both Japan and Russia), Nemuro City (Hokkaido, Japan), Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and then to Nanking and Hankou (both in China). His wife wrote a book called North to the Orient that documents this trip. (I haven’t read it.)

So here is the dinner menu and order of proceedings. First, the cover:

The picture looks like a famous ukiyo-e but I’m not sure. The image is appropriate considering the guest. Labeled at the bottom: ‘The America-Japan Society.’

First, or title, page:

Color flags of America and Japan. The picture is small so you may not be able to read it, so here is what is written: ‘Dinner in honor of Colonel and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh, given by The America-Japan Society at The Maple Club (The Koyokan). August 29, 1931.’

A word or two about the Koyokan (紅葉館) before I continue with the description of the menu, etc. This was a very famous hall in Tokyo. It was established in Meiji 14 (1881) and hosted only the most famous and elite in Japanese society. Here is a photo, circa Meiji 40 (1907):

As you can see, very traditional. It was a salon, in the sense of a club. Only the elite could be members, and of course only members could enter. In another location there was a separate business that served as a dance club for foreigners, and this opened in 1883; however, it was limited to dancing and socializing, so it went out of business after only seven years. After that, the foreigners were allowed to use the Koyokan on occasion.

From Meiji 25 (1892) other people were allowed to use the club, but it was rather expensive so even then only the wealthy ‘regular’ people could afford it.

The Koyokan existed until March 10, 1945. On that day, though, it was destroyed in one of the firebombings of Tokyo. The space remained unused until Showa 33 (1958) December 23, when it was sold and upon the land was built the famous landmark of Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower:

Well, I rambled a bit and strayed off-topic. Tomorrow I’ll return to Lindbergh’s party.

The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life
Maribeth Kuzmeski
John Wiley & Sons (2009)

As I began to read this book, I was reminded of the fact that Charles Lindbergh selected WE as the title of his account of that historic transatlantic flight he completed in 33 hours to Paris. He wanted to acknowledge the importance of everyone who was involved. More recently, Maribeth Kuzmeski notes (on Page 57) in The Connectors, “In his biography, It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life, [Lance] Armstrong described the vital role that teammates play…In its review of Armstrong’s book, the Denver-based Rocky Mountain News wrote: ‘Armstrong’s book is both inspiring and entertaining…and he doesn’t forget to thank the good people who helped him most of the way.’” Neither did Lindbergh.

It is also noteworthy that in the companies on Fortune magazine’s annual list of those “Most Highly Admired,” there is widespread use of first-person plural pronouns. In her exceptionally informative book, Kuzmeski cites dozens examples of how “the world’s most successful businesspeople build relationships and win clients for life.” Actually, the examples she cites indicate that almost anyone can establish and then sustain mutually beneficial relationships within and beyond the workplace. She asserts that “true connections” between and among people must be made and then sustained with feeling and purpose and honesty. Bill George would invoke the term “authentic,” insisting that it is imperative to be true to one’s self (to one’s True North) as well as to others.

Readers will especially appreciate Kuzmeski’s generous provision of “Downloadable Forms” that can be put to immediate use as worksheets to implement what she recommends in the chapters in which they are included. Directions to obtain them are provided in the book. For example: “The Listening Assessment” (Page 80), Self Assessment of “The Questions You Ask” (93) and “Getting the Sale to Close Itself” Self Assessment (105). Other value-added benefits include “In Other Words” quotation clusters (Pages 18, 64, 81-82, and 94-95); “The Connector IQ (C-IQ) Assessment” with an explanation of how to interpret the score, accompanied by suggestions as to how to become a more effective Connector (Pages 32-35); a summary of the red Stone Connector Traits (Pages 44-46); Three Strategies for Connecting and Closing Sales (Pages 98-103); the smith&jones Business mantra (Pages 129-130); an annotated list of major women’s business organizations (Pages 164-171); Four Tips for Organizing Connections (Pages 179-180); the Red Zone Connectors Formula for Speaking (Page193); and suggestions about how to use the top ten social media sites (Pages 203-211). All by itself, the information provided about the social media sites is worth more than the cost of this book. It is obvious to me that Kuzmeski is a world-class, Five Star pragmatist. With all due respect to her thorough coverage of “what” to do, I think she is really at her best when sharing her experience and insights with regard to “how” to do it.

Life About Me

A Plant For Elizabeth

Flowers For Jennifer

Persephone And Flowers

Early Chores

Life & Still Life

Charles Lindbergh

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Abby Rockefeller

Portrait Of Jennie (Jennifer Jones)

Jennifer Jones

Girl From The Village

Somewhere In America

End Of Day

Three Women

Nude With Basket

“Vile!” “Hateful!” “Shameful!”

It would seem that Israel, the U.S., Canada and so on, are intent on making a hero out of Ahmadinejad by making him appear reasonable in comparison to the propagandistic image. And they seem intent on promoting Islam by treating him in such an un-Christian and undiplomatic manner.

Let’s see. Is what he said “Vile”, “Hateful”, and “Shameful” as Step-and-fetch-it Harper and Prudence Brown allege? I only wish the formerly Christian World had a leader capable of responding to Ahmadinejad with (at least!) equal intelligence and grace, but all “The West” has is platitudes, ignorance, bombast, lies, hypocrisy, Godlessness and Politically Correct rubbish. (ο δε πνευματικος ανακρινει μεν παντα αυτος δε υπ ουδενος ανακρινεται)

Friends and Colleagues,

Today, I wish to share with you a few points about the changes that should
take place.

First:

Clearly, continuation of the current circumstances in the world is impossible.
The present inequitable and unfavorable conditions run counter to the very nature of
human kind and move in a direction which contravenes the truth and the goal behind
the creation of the world.

It is no longer possible to inject thousands of billions of dollars of unreal wealth
to the world economy simply by printing worthless paper assets, or transfer inflation
as well as social and economic problems to others through creating sever budget
deficits. The engine of unbridled capitalism with its unfair system of thought has
reached the end of road and is unable to move. The era of capitalist thinking and
. imposition of one’s thoughts on the international community, intended to predominate
the world in the name of globalization and the age of setting up empires is over. It is
no longer possible to humiliate nations and impose double standard policies on the
 world community.

Approaches in which realization of the interests of certain powers is considered
as the only criteria to weigh democracy, and using the ugliest methods of intimidation
and deceit under the mantle of freedom as a democratic practice, and approaches
through which sometimes dictators are portrayed as democrats, lack legitimacy and 
must be totally rejected.

The time has come to an end for those who define democracy and freedom and
set standards whilst they themselves are the first who violate its fundamental
principles. They can no longer sit both the judge and the executor and challenge the
real democratically- established governments.

The awakening of nations and the expansion of freedom worldwide will no
longer allow them to continue their hypocrisy and vicious attitudes. Because of all
these reasons most nations including the people of the Untied States are waiting for
real and profound changes. They have welcomed and will continue to welcome
changes.

How can one imagine that the inhuman policies in Palestine may continue; to
force the entire population of a country out of their homeland for more than 60 years
by resorting to force and coercion; to attack them with all types of arms and even
prohibited weapons; to deny them of their legitimate right of self-defense, while much
to the chagrin of the international community calling the occupiers as the peace lovers,
and portraying the victims as terrorists.

How can the crimes of the occupiers against defenseless women and children
and destruction of their homes, farms, hospitals and schools be supported
unconditionally by certain governments, and at the same time, the oppressed men and
women be subject to genocide and heaviest economic blockade being denied of their
basic needs, food, water and medicine.

They are not even allowed to rebuild their homes which were destroyed during
the 22-day barbaric attacks by the Zionist regime while the winter is approaching.
Whereas the aggressors and their supporters deceitfully continue their rhetoric in
defense of human rights in order to put others under pressure.

It is no longer acceptable that a small minority would dominate the politics,
economy and culture of major parts of the world by its complicated networks, and
establish a new form of slavery, and harm the reputation of other nations, even
European nations and the U.S., to attain its racist ambitions.

It is not acceptable that some who are several thousands of kilometers away
from the Middle East would send their troops for military intervention and for
spreading war, bloodshed, aggression, terror and intimidation in the whole region
while blaming the protests of nations in the region, that are concerned about their fate
and their national security, as a move against peace and as interference in others’
affairs. Look at the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is no longer possible to bring a country under military occupation in the
name of fight against terrorism and drug trafficking while the production of illicit
drugs has multiplied, terrorism has widened its dimensions and has tightened its grips,
thousands of innocent people have been killed, injured or displaced, infrastructures
have been destroyed and regional security has been seriously jeopardized; and those

who have created the current disastrous situation continue to blame others. How you
 can talk about friendship and solidarity with other nations while you expand your
military bases in different parts of the world including in Latin America. This
situation cannot continue. It is all the more impossible to advance expansionist and
inhuman policies on the basis of militaristic logic. The logic of coercion and
intimidation will produce dire consequences, exacerbating the present global
problems.

It is not acceptable that the military budget of some governments exceeds far
larger than those of the entire countries of the world. They export billions of dollars
of arms every year, stockpile chemical and biological weapons, establish military
bases or have military presence in other countries while accusing others of militarism,
and mobilize all their resources in the world to impede scientific and technological
progress of other nations under the pretext of countering arms proliferation.
It is not acceptable that the United Nations and the Security Council, whose
decisions must represent all nations and governments by the application of the most
democratic methods in their decision making processes, be dominated by a few
governments and serve their interests. In a world where cultures, thoughts and public
opinions should be the determining factors, the continuation of the present situation is
impossible, and fundamental changes seem to be unavoidable.

Second:

Any change must be structural and fundamental both in theory and practice,
involving all domains of our life. The outdated mechanisms which themselves were
instrumental in and the root cause for present problems in human societies can never
be used to bring changes and create our desired world. Liberalism and capitalism that
have alienated human beings from heavenly and moral values will never bring
happiness for humanity because they are the main source of all misfortune wars,
poverty and deprivation.

We have all seen that how the inequitable economic structures controlled by
certain political interests have been used to plunder national wealth of countries for
the benefit of a group of corrupt business giants. The present structures are incapable
of reforming the present situation.

The political and economic structures created following the World War II that
was based on intentions to dominate the world failed to promote justice and lasting
security.

Rulers whose hearts do not beat for the love of humankind and who sacrificed
the spirit of justice in their minds never offer the promise of peace and friendship to
humanity. By the grace of God, Marxism is gone. It is now history. The expansionist
Capitalism will certainly have the same fate. Because based on the divine traditions
referred to as a principle in the Holy Quran, the wrong like the bubbles on the surface
of water, will disappear. There remains only what that can be used forever towards the
interest of human societies.

We must all remain vigilant to prevent the pursuit of colonialist, discriminatory
and inhuman goals under the cover of the slogans for change and in new formats. The
world needs to undergo fundamental changes and all must engage collectively to
make them happen in the right direction, and through such efforts no one and no
government would consider itself an exception to change or superior to others and try
to impose its will on others by proclaiming world leadership.

Third:

All problems existing in our world today emanate from the fact that rulers
have distanced themselves from human values, morality and the teachings of divine
messengers. Regrettably, in the current international relations, selfishness and
insatiable greed have taken the place of such humanitarian concepts as love, sacrifice,
dignity, and justice. The belief in the One God has been replaced with selfishness.
Some have taken the place of God and insist to impose their values and wishes on
others. Lies have taken the place of honesty; hypocrisy has replaced integrity and
selfishness has taken the place of sacrifice. Deception in interactions is called
foresight and statesmanship; looting the wealth of other nations is called development
efforts; occupation is introduced as a gift towards promotion of freedom and
democracy, and defenseless nations are subjected to repression in the name of
defending human rights.

Friends and Colleagues,

Settlement of global problems and administration of justice and maintenance of
peace will only be materialized with collective determination and cooperation of all
nations and states. The age of polarizing the world on the premises of the hegemony
or domination of a few governments is over.

Today we must rise together in a collective commitment against the present
challenges; we must take change seriously and help others through collective work to
return to the basic moral and human values. Messengers were sent by God to show the
light of the truth to human kind, they came to make people aware of their individual
and social obligations. Piety, having faith to Allah and its judgment of human
behavior or conduct in the next world, belief in the primacy of justice in both lives,
seeking one’s happiness, well being and security in the happiness, well-being and
security of others, respecting human kind, making efforts to expand love and
compassion against hostility were all on top of the teachings offered by the
Messengers of God from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ
and the last one Prophet Mohamamd (PUH). All of them came to do something to
eliminate war and ignorance, to eradicate poverty and uproot discrimination in order
to spread happiness in the entire world. They are the best gifts that God Almighty has
granted to human beings.

If the belief in Entezar( A waiting patiently for the Imam to return) will turn into a
common and we join hands to achieve prosperity for all, then there will be more real
and increasing hopes for reform.

Fourth:

In my opinion, we have several important agendas in front of us. The Secretary- General and the UN General Assembly can take the lead by undertaking necessary measures for the fulfillment of our shared goals on the basis of:

Restructuring the United Nations in order to transform this world body to an efficient and fully democratic organization, capable of playing an impartial, equitable, and effective role in the international relations; reforming the structure of the Security Council, specially by abolishing the discriminatory privilege of veto right; restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people by organizing a referendum and free elections in Palestine in order to prepare a conducive ground for all Palestinian populations, including Muslims, Christians and Jews to live together in peace and harmony; putting an end to all types of interferences in the affairs of Iraq, Afghanistan, Middle East, and in all countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe.

As our great Prophet said, a government may survive with blasphemy, but never with oppression. Oppression against Palestinians and violation of their rights still continue; a new group of Palestinians who lived in al-Qod al-Sharif were again forced out of their homes as the destruction of their residential homes continues by the occupiers; bombings in Afghanistan and Pakistan have not yet stopped; and Guantanamo Prison has not yet been shut down and there are still secret prisons in Europe.

Continuation of the present situation adds to hostilities and violence. Oppression and military aggression must be stopped. Regrettably, official reports concerning the brutalities of the Zionist regime in Gaza have not been completely published. The Secretary-General and the United Nations have crucial responsibilities in this respect and the international community is impatiently waiting for the punishment of the aggressors and the murderers of the defenseless people of Gaza.

Reforming the current economic structures and setting up a new international economic order based on human and moral values and obligations. A new course is needed that would help promote justice and progress worldwide by flourishing the potentials and talents of all nations thus bringing well-being for all and for future generations;

Reforming the international political relations based on the promotion of lasting peace and friendship, eradication of arms race and elimination of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons;

Reforming cultural structures , respect for diverse customs and traditions of all nations, fostering moral values and spirituality aimed at institution of family as the backbone of all human societies;

Worldwide efforts to protect the environment and full observance of the international agreements and arrangements to prevent the annihilation of nature’s non-renewable resources.

Fifth:

Our nation has successfully gone through a glorious and fully democratic election, opening a new chapter for our country in the march towards national progress and enhanced international interactions. They entrusted me once more with a large majority this heavy responsibility.

And now, I want to declare that our great nation that has made great contribution to the world civilization, and the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the most democratic and progressive governments of the world is ready to mobilize all its cultural, political and economic capabilities to engage into constructive process aimed at addressing the international concerns and challenges. Our country has been a main victim of terrorism and the target of an all-out military aggression during the first decade of the revolution.

All through the past thirty years we have been subject to hostile attitudes of those
who supported Saddam’s military aggression and his use of chemical weapons against
us, and then they took military action in Iraq to get rid of him. Today, our nation
seeks to create a world in which justice and compassion prevail. We announce our
commitment to participate in the process of building a durable peace and security
worldwide for all nations based on justice, spirituality and human dignity, while being
dedicated to strongly defending our legitimate and legal rights.

To materialize these goals, our nation is prepared to warmly shake all those hands
which are honestly extended to us. No nation can claim to be free from the need to
change and reform in this journey towards perfectness. We welcome real and humane
changes and stand ready to actively engage in fundamental global reforms.

Therefore, we emphasize that:

The only path to remain safe is to return to Monotheism (believing in the
Oneness of God) and justice, and this is the greatest hope and opportunity in all ages
and generations. Without belief in God and commitment to the cause of justice and
fight against injustice and discrimination, the world architect would not get right.

Man is at the center of the universe. The man’s unique feature is his humanity.
The same feature which seeks for justice, piety, love, knowledge, awareness and all
other high values. These human values should be supported, and each and every
fellow humans should be given the opportunity to acquire them. Neglecting any of
them is tantamount to the omission of a constituting piece of humanity. These are
common elements which connect all human communities and constitute the basis of
peace, security and friendship.

The divine religions pay attention to all aspects of human life, including
obedience to God, morality, justice, fighting oppression, and endeavor to establish just
and good governance. Prophet Abraham called for Oneness of God against Nimrod,
as Prophet Moses did the same against Pharaohs and the Jesus Christ and Prophet
Muhammad (Peace be upon them) did against the oppressors of their own time. They
were all threatened to death and were forced out of their homelands.
Without resistance and objection, the injustices would not be removed from the
face of the earth.

Sixth:

Dear friends and colleagues;

The world is in continuous change and evolution. The promised destiny for the
mankind is the establishment of the humane pure life. Will come a time when justice
will prevail across the globe and every single human being will enjoy respect and
dignity. That will be the time when the Mankind’s path to moral and spiritual
perfectness will be opened and his journey to God and the manifestation of the God’s
Divine Names will come true. The mankind should excel to represent the God’s
”knowledge and wisdom”, His “compassion and benevolence”, His “justice and
fairness”, His “power and art”, and His “kindness and forgiveness”.

These will all come true under the rule of the Perfect Man, the last Divine
Source on earth, Hazrat Mahdi (Peace be upon him); an offspring of the Prophet of
Islam, who will re-emerge, and Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him) and other noble men
will accompany him in the accomplishment of this, grand universal mission. And this
 is the belief in Entezar (Awaiting patiently for the Imam to return). Waiting with
patience for the rule of goodness and the governance of the Best which is a universal
human notion and which is a source of nations’ hope for the betterment of the world.

They will come, and with the help of righteous people and true believers will
materialize the man’s long-standing desires for freedom, perfectness, maturity,
security and tranquility, peace and beauty. They will come to put an end to war and
aggression and present the entire knowledge as well as spirituality and friendship to
the whole world.

Yes, indeed, the bright future for the mankind will come.

Dear friends,

In waiting for that brilliant time to come and in a collective commitment, let’s
make due contributions in paving the grounds and preparing the conditions for
building that bright future.

Long live love and spirituality; long live peace and security; long live justice and
freedom.

God’s Peace and blessing be upon you all.

“The Leader of the Free World”

Prophetic: Charles Lindbergh 1941.09.11

Letters of Note is an array of “correspondence deserving of a wider audience.”  Updated every weekday, it showcases letters, postcards, faxes, and telegrams of particular interest (and/or poignancy).  The collection contains notes from Mark Twain (complaining about the telephone), Elvis (offering his services as a “Federal Agent at Large” to Richard Nixon) , and Winston Churchill (praising his wife); and notes to Sid Vicious (offering redemption after Nancy Spungeon’s death), FDR (from the Commissioner of Baseball, asking if America’s Pastime should continue after the outbreak of WWII), and Hauptmann’s ransom note to Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  By way of example, this letter from Charles Darwin:

11th January, 1844: Charles Darwin, in a letter to renowned botanist and great friend Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, begins to reveal the idea of Natural Selection (or “the simple way”). He says of the revelation, “It is like confessing a murder.” His theory would not become common knowledge for another 15 years with the publication of On the Origin of Species.

Transcript

Down. Bromley Kent

Thursday

My dear Sir

I must write to thank you for your last letter; I to tell you how much all your views and facts interest me. I must be allowed to put my own interpretation on what you say of “not being a good arranger of extended views”  which is, that you do not indulge in the loose speculations so easily started by every smatterer & wandering collector. I look at a strong tendency to generalize as an entire evil.

What limit shall you take on the Patagonian side – has d’Orbigny published, I believe he made a large collection at the R. Negro, where Patagonia retains its usual forlorn appearance; at Bahia Blanca & northward the features of Patagonia insensibly blend into the savannahs of La Plata. The Botany of S. Patagonia (& I collected every plant in flower at the season when there) would be worth comparison with the N. Patagonian collection by d’Orbigny. I do not know anything about King’s plants, but his birds were so inaccurately habitated, that I have seen specimen from Brazil, Tierra del & the Cape de Verde Isd all said to come from the St. Magellan. What you say of Mr Brown is humiliating; I had suspected it, but cd not allow myself to believe in such heresy. FitzRoy gave him a rap in his Preface, & made me very indignant, but it seems a much harder one wd not have been wasted. My crptogamic collection was sent to Berkeley; it was not large; I do not believe he has yet published an account, but he wrote to me some year ago that he had described & mislaid all his descriptions. Wd it not be well for you to put yourself in communication with him; as otherwise some things will perhaps be twice laboured over. My best (though poor) collection of the Crptogam. was from the Chonos Islands.

Would you kindly observe one little fact for me, whether any species of plant, peculiar to any isld, as Galapagos, St. Helena or New Zealand, where there are no large quadrupeds, have hooked seeds, such hooks as if observed here would be thought with justness to be adapted to catch into wool of animals.

Would you further oblige me some time by informing me (though I forget this will certainly appear in your Antarctic Flora) whether in isld like St. Helena, Galapagos, & New Zealand, the number of families & genera are large compared with the number of species, as happens in coral-isld, & as I believe? in the extreme Arctic land. Certainly this is case with Marine shells in extreme Arctic seas. Do you suppose the fewness of species in proportion to number of large groups in Coral-islets., is owing to the chance of seeds from all orders, getting drifted to such new spots? as I have supposed.

Did you collect sea-shells in Kerguelen land, I shd like to know their character.?

Your interesting letters tempt me to be very unreasonable in asking you questions; but you must not give yourself any trouble about them, for I know how fully & worthily you are employed.

Besides a general interest about the Southern lands, I have been now ever since my return engaged in a very presumptuous work & which I know no one individual who wd not say a very foolish one. I was so struck with distribution of Galapagos organisms &c &c & with the character of the American fossil mammifers, &c &c that I determined to collect blindly every sort of fact, which cd bear any way on what are species. I have read heaps of agricultural & horticultural books, & have never ceased collecting facts – At last gleams of light have come, & I am almost convinced (quite contrary to opinion I started with) that species are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable. Heaven forfend me from Lamarck nonsense of a “tendency to progression” “adaptations from the slow willing of animals” &c, – but the conclusions I am led to are not widely different from his – though the means of change are wholly so – I think I have found out (here’s presumption!) the simple way by which species become exquisitely adapted to various ends. You will now groan, & think to yourself ‘on what a man have I been wasting my time in writing to.’ – I shd, five years ago, have thought so. I fear you will also groan at the length of this letter—excuse me, I did not begin with malice prepense.

Believe me my dear Sir

Very truly your’s

C. Darwin

As we read other peoples’ mail, we might recall that on this date in 1859, Norton I distributed letters to the newspapers of San Francisco proclaiming himself Emperor of North America…

At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of S. F., Cal., declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these U. S.; and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested, do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall, of this city, on the 1st day of Feb. next, then and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and abroad, in our stability and integrity.

- NORTON I, Emperor of the United States.

source: Wikimedia

September 15, 1939

RADIO HIGHLIGHTS

“Riding the Airwaves”

Fall Radio Season to Feature
Production Changes

Click image to see all merchandise with this design, from Our Krazy Kulture!

Casting a casual eye at the 1939-’40 radio station at this early stage of the game, it appears as though there will be few changes made in the average, run of the mine programming setup.

There is no doubt, however, that there will be changes in the actual production of radio programs, along the line toward which sponsors and producers have been veering more and more in the last few years.  The old habit of setting up half a dozen shows—or even a full 13 week series—in advance, thereby giving a cut and dried tinge to much of our ether entertainment, will fall even more into the discard this season.  Most shows will be written from week to week, allowing for the interjection of new and timely material.

This type of production cannot help make radio entertainment better than ever.

Heidt to Move

Horace Heidt’s “Answers From the Dancers” program, now heard Monday nights, will move to Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. (WTMJ), starting Sept. 26.

Click image to see all merchandise with this "Theater Guild on the Air" design, from Our Krazy Kulture!

Burns Mantle, drama critic of the New York Daily News, has been signed to appear each Wednesday on the “Star Theater.”  He will introduce actors in the second half of the program and offer comments on the play to be produced.

After six days in England, Paul Sullivan is on the high seas on his way back to New York.  He promises uncensored news of England during the early days of the war when he opens his commercial series Sept. 24 at 10:30 p.m.

Loretta Young is set to headline the fall premiere of the “Silver Theater,” opening on CBS Sunday, Oct. 8, at 5 p.m.

Both the star of the play “To the End of Time”—James Kirkwood—and its author, Myron C. Fagan, will be interviewed over WTMJ Friday at 8:30 p.m.  Mr. Kirkwood will be remembered for his work in “The Fool” and “The Barker,” while Mr. Fagan is the author of “Holiday” and other screen and stage plays.

Smilin’ Ed McConnell returns to the air Saturday at 9:15 a.m. (NBC) after a summer vacation.  –The Milwaukee Journal

RADIO
DAY BY DAY

New York, Sept. 15—Col. Charles A. Lindbergh will discuss “America and the European War” tonight at 8:45.  National, Columbia and Mutual chains will carry the speech.  Lindbergh speaking from WOL, Washington, D. C.

Arturo Toscanini, probably the greatest figure in contemporary music, is returning to America next week for the broadcast concert on Saturday, Oct. 14, which opens his third season as conductor of the NBC symphony orchestra. . . . . He left Lucerne, Switzerland, Wednesday; and will board the United States liner Manhattan tomorrow.  As in previous seasons, he will be heard on Saturday nights over WJZ-NBC.

How one may weight the barrage of propaganda in war news will be discussed by George Seides, author and former war correspondent, during the inside story program over WJZ-NBC Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 6.  He will illustrate his talk with examples of propaganda methods.  –Kentucky New Era

Stalin, Hitler’s enabler, and his aristocratic apologists today. Podcast on the 1934 San Francisco General Strike. Recommended reading for ordinary people. Win a CLR James T-shirt. Victor Serge: `dishonest authoritarian’, `anti-worker anarchist’ or revolutionary Bolshevik? An incredibly superficial A-Z of socialism, with one highlight being Ian Birchall’s U for United Front. Lindbergh in Des Moines. Roland’s Link-O-Mania. TNC’s last link-o-mania.

Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary on the way to the top of Everest, 1953.

In 1902, a geologist named Benjamin Willis set off to the subartic in search of a mineral cache. When he couldn’t find clothing acceptable to withstand the journey, Willis decided to design and manufacture his own.

Using materials such as leather, shearling and alpaca, Willis created a line of foul weather clothing that performed splendidly through the harshest of conditions. (He also found the minerals.)

Through the early 1900s, Willis sold the items he designed and manufactured through venerable outdoor retailer Abercrombie & Fitch. Word of Willis’ designs spread quickly through the exploration community and in 1906, Teddy Roosevelt wore Willis’ wares (that he had purchased from Abercrombie & Fitch in NYC) on his trip across Alaska.  Roosevelt was pleased enough with their performance that he again wore Willis’ clothing in 1908 when he journeyed to Africa.

Charles Lindbergh wore Ben Willis-designed clothing on his epic flight across the Atlantic. (1927)

In 1928, Willis took on a business partner named Howard W. Geiger, and the company was re-christened Willis & Geiger Outfitters. Willis handled the technical and design aspects while Geiger focused on marketing.

Willis & Geiger operated under a simple dictum:

“Don’t tell us how to make it cheaper, tell us how to make it better.”

In 1931, the U.S. Government approached Willis & Geiger in need of a new jacket for its pilots; the result was the now famous A-2 Intermediate Flight Jacket. From there, the list of adventurers who wore Willis & Geiger reads like a veritable Who’s Who of exploration marvels: Lindbergh. Amundson. Earhart. Hillary. And the list went on.

Willis & Geiger supplied Hillary and Norgay's clothing on their Everest ascent.

For more than 50 years, the “Make It Better” philosophy served the company well. However, in 1977, Abercrombie & Fitch went bankrupt with its single largest debt owed to Willis & Geiger. W&G didn’t survive.

In 1936, W&G created a bush jacket for Ernest Hemingway of the author's own design.

In 1979, a former Abercrombie & Fitch employee named Burt Avedon led a group of investors that revived the Willis & Geiger brand. Avedon, who played football and baseball at UCLA in the 1940s, was a former Naval fighter pilot in World War II and later an African bush pilot and professional hunter. Naturally, Avedon had a deep appreciation of the company’s outfitter heritage. He did a masterful job resurrecting the brand, creating the company’s first mail order catalog and developing it into a strong multi-channel specialty retailer.

Avedon led the sale Willis & Geiger to VF Corp. in the early 90s, and VF later sold it to Laura Ashley. In 1995, W&G was purchased by Lands’ End. Though Lands’ End no longer actively markets the brand, LE/Sears still controls it and occasionally attaches its name to new product offerings. Each of these much larger parent-company-owners never seemed to understand why the Willis & Geiger concept couldn’t successfully be taken mainstream. They didn’t comprehend the notion that bigger isn’t always necessarily better, and for a niche purveyor like Willis & Geiger, that was certainly the case.

More than 100 years after it began, the most lasting testament to Willis & Geiger’s “Make it Better” formula can be seen on eBay. Though its been nearly 20 years since the company last made products independently, it’s well-worn clothing and accessories frequently change hands on the auction website for several times their original retail price.

Don’t make it cheaper; make it better. We can’t think of better words for a retailer to live by.

“I realized that if I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.” – Charles Lindbergh

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S QUIZ: “If Quizzes are Quizzical, Are Tests Testicle?”
1. slightly lower
2. Elephantiasis
3. orchid
4. avocado
5. testify
6. Cat
7. Ram or goat
8. Clinton, Montana
9. eye lid
10. 20 and 34.

THIS WEEK’S QUIZ:  “Timeline History of Television”

Inventors in the 19th century speculated on the idea of instruments that would allow people to “see by electricity.” In 1881, an article in Nature magazine surmised that although the idea of transmitting images over great distances could one day be possible, it wondered if the idea deserved “further expense and trouble.”

Jump cut forward: While early television sets from the 1920s had blurry flickering images, technology showed steady signs of improving into the 1930s although the images were still fuzzy. World War II meant that TV was still a rarity for the American family until after 1945 when sales jumped 500% between then and 1948. Before we knew it, we were watching cable TV stations in the 1980s, and then 42% of TV stations were digital by June 2009.

Here’s a timeline history of some of television’s landmark events in programming and technology, with a sprinkling of fascinating facts and goofy quirks.

1. In the early 1920s scientists in the United States and United Kingdom demonstrated the ability to transmit still photos and moving silhouettes using what method?
Microwaves
Radio waves
Sonar
UV rays
X-rays

2. April 7, 1927: The first public broadcast on TV in the United States. Whose voice and image was broadcast?
Al Jolson
Calvin Coolidge
Charlie Chaplin
Charles Lindbergh
Herbert Hoover

3. In 1928, General Electric broadcast what might be considered the first TV drama using a spinning disk and bright lamp to create blurry, off-center images of actors smoking cigarettes while carousing around Europe. In truth, those actors were not in Europe but were instead where?
Boston, Massachusetts
Burbank, California
Hollywood, California
Schenectady, New York
West Orange, New Jersey

4. While regular nationwide TV broadcasts started around 1939, it was in 1947, when the very first TV couple to share a bed appeared on what television show? [The next couple to do so is thought by many to be the animated couple, the Flintstones in the 1960's.]
“Café Continental”
“Cash and Carry”
“Kraft Television Theater”
“Mary Kay and Johnny”
“The World In Your Home”

5. In 1950, which NBC TV show first made use of the laugh track?
“The Alan Dale Show”
“The Goldbergs”
“The Hank McCune Show”
“The Morey Amsterdam Show”
“Your Show of Shows”

6. The color television set first swept the country in 1954. By what year did color TV sales overtake Black and White sets?
1955
1960
1966
1972
1978

7. Initial versions of the TV remote control were still attached to the television set with a cable. It wasn’t until what year that the wireless remote control was invented?
*1955
1963
1970
1977
1985

8. By 1960, what percentage of households in the United States had a television set?
7%
27%
47%
67%
87%

9. In what year did the VCR replace the previous technology of open-reel home video systems?
1962
1967
1972
1977
1982

10. In 1983 what TV show aired the most-watched television series finale in history with almost 106 million Americans watching?
All in The Family
Dallas
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
M*A*S*H
Seinfeld

11. These days there are TV sets in about 110 million American households, and revenue from television broadcasting, cable, TV advertising, and TV-set sales totaled how much money in 2006?
$1.82 billion
$18.2 billion
$182 billion
$1.82 trillion
$18.2 trillion

12. The renewal of the contract for the show The Simpsons in 2009 meant that it would soon overtake which show as the longest-running prime-time scripted TV series?
ABC’s The Danny Thomas Show
CBS’s Gunsmoke
CBS’s Lassie
NBC’s Bonanza
NBC’s Law & Order

ANSWERS WILL APPEAR NEXT MONDAY. But if you really want to know the answers now, go to:  http://www.sploofus.com/triviaquiz/timeline_history_of_television.html

It’s a great trivia web site, and if you join up please mention my user name “billkozy” as a referral, so that I get lots of points worth no money whatsoever. Just bragging rights I guess.

There have been few women who have made as much of an impact on history as the legendary aviator and author, Amelia Earhart. She was born Amelia Mary Earhart in Atchison, Kansas, on July 24, 1897. Amelia’s mother, Amy, did not believe in raising either Amelia or Amelia’s sister, Grace Muriel Earhart, to be “nice little girls”. Rather than playing with dolls, both children enjoyed hunting rats, climbing trees, and “rough-and-tumble” play. Growing up, Amelia also exhibited a large interest in reading, recalling later that she spent countless hours in the vast family library. Although Amelia experienced a tremendous amount of unhappiness growing up, she always had a tendency to focus her sights on women who had been successful in their chosen fields. In fact, she kept a scrapbook filled with photos of women who  inspired her. However, in one of her school yearbooks, she was described as “A.E.—the girl who walks in brown alone.”

After Amelia visited her sister in 1917, and she saw the wounded soldiers returning from taking part in the disastrous World War I, Amelia Earhart decided to train to be a nurse’s aide for the Red Cross. A year later, she developed health problems resulting from her arduous work at the Spandina Military Hospital during the Spanish Flu Epidemic. In November of 1918, Amelia was hospitalized for pneumonia. At this same time in her life, she also developed maxillary sinusitis, which ended up affecting her immensely in her later years.

Amelia clearly did not perceive what her life’s purpose was until she had explored other avenues. In 1919, she signed up at Columbia University to pursue a course in medical studies. However, destiny intervened. Not long after she returned to California, to live once again with her parents, Amelia and her father visited an airfield where she was given a free ride in a airplane by air racer, Frank Hawkes. Earhart said later, “By the time I was two or three hundred feet off the ground, I knew I had to fly.” Earhart was a plucky lady who possessed the kind of determination that it takes to get to the top of your chosen profession. She was willing to dedicate herself to her career, even though she knew there would be plenty of opposition she would be compelled to face. Earhart cut her hair short, donned a worn leather jacket, and bought her own bright yellow Kinner Airster biplane, which she nicknamed “The Canary”. When she received her pilot license on May 15, 1923, Earhart was only the 16th woman to accomplish this feat. By 1927, she had managed to accumulate over 500 miles of solo flying. One year later, Earhart gained notoriety by becoming the first woman to fly solo across North America and back. In spite of having her share of detractors, Earhart was becoming a celebrity. She was hailed as “The Queen of the Air”, and many magazines and newspapers began referring to her as “Lady Lindy”, noting her resemblance to famed aviator, Charles Lindbergh. She began promoting and endorsing various products, and stores like Macy’s even sold a line of clothing that was supposed to mimic Earhart’s sleek, practical, yet feminine style.

In keeping with her lack of conformity in other areas of her life, Earhart also had radical ideas about marriage.  Her husband, George P. Putnam, proposed to her six times before she actually agreed to accept him, and, when describing her marriage, Earhart referred to it as a “partnership” with “dual control”. The wedding itself took place on February 7, 1931, and there wasn’t a honeymoon.

Earhart made several solo flights before her planned world flight in 1937. After a failed attempt to make this flight, a second attempt began on June 1 of that year, when Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, left Miami, Florida, finally arriving in Lae, New Guinea, on June 29. It was on July 2, 1937, that Earhart took off from Lae, and, at approximately 8:43 that morning, Earhart transmitted her last known broadcast. There has been an immense amount of speculation as to what happened to Earhart and her plane. An aura of mystery surrounds the event, and, even to this day, Earhart’s disappearance remains one of the most interesting missing person cases.

Earhart is going to be portrayed by the two-time Oscar-winning actress, Hilary Swank, in a new biopic film about the remarkable aviator. Might Swank garner yet another Oscar for her depiction of this inspirational dame?

To read more about Amelia Earhart, her life, and her adventures, don’t miss checking out this remarkable site paying tribute to her: http://www.ameliaearhart.com/

Also, you can watch a portion of a documentary film on Amelia Earhart, entitled “Where’s Amelia Earhart?” by going  here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUR8r06EtVE

(photos: Amelia Earhart, a classic headshot of the striking lady; Earhart, looking sassy and self-assured; actress Hilary Swank, who will be portraying Earhart in a new biopic film)

This page and all written material at The Success Diva pages is written by Alexis Wingate. All rights are reserved. (C) Copyright by Alexis Wingate. The Success Diva

RJ with Bill Tilley

The GPS on my cell phone said to turn right and go up the hill. The road was narrowing and very windy all the way up to the top and the view became incredible. We were on our way to meet Bill Tilley, one of the last people to see Johnny Myers before he died. I would say that Bill Tilley is a Renaissance man. His home is like a castle with a remarkable view. When we arrived, Bill led us to a large room he calls the “Museum” because of all the interesting displays on all the walls. As we set up our cameras and lights and sound equipment we were mesmerized by numerous heads of big game trophies including bears, elk, big horn sheep, and more, way more.

Bill Tilley gave me a terrific interview. He talked about his enduring friendship with Johnny Myers. He looked up to Johnny Myers, not only because Johnny Myers was a tall man, but because he was a great man. Bill Tilley told me some incredible stories of the special moments he had experienced with Mr. Myers over the years. He told me the stories that Johnny had told him about when he knew Howard Hughes, the time Johnny Myers saved the life of Charles Lindbergh, and intriguing tales of Johnny’s test pilot days.

Bill also was able to tell me a little about Johnny Myers business career after the war and his philosophies about people. He told me that Johnny Myers really cared for other people. Bill told me about how Johnny Myers was totally in love with his wife Lucia and how they were such a wonderful couple.

Thanks, Bill Tilley, for taking the time to discuss your friendship with Johnny Myers.

]]> http://autographcollecting.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/clint-eastwood-1954-signed-letter/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:08:26 +0000 autographcollecting http://autographcollecting.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/clint-eastwood-1954-signed-letter/

This letter is from Clint Eastwood to director Billy Wilder expressing his keen interest in the 1957 movie – The Spirit of St. Louis to play the role of Charles Lindbergh.  It was ultimately James Stewart who was cast in this role. 

Clint was only 24 when he wrote this letter, it is all written in Clint’s hand thus giving a good example of what Clint Eastwood’s handwriting looks like!

Early autographs of Clint Eastwood are very rare indeed and this is an excellent example!! And as previously mentioned also has the bonus of having movie related content.

This amazingly rare Eastwood letter sold for US$7,767.50 in October 2008 when auctioned by an American Auction House. 

The letter reads (in full) as follows:

Tuesday October 26, 1954

Dear Mr. Wilder,

Thank you for taking your time to see me last Tuesday when Mr Arthur Lubin was kind enough to introduce us on your set.  Mr Solly Baiano  of Warner Brothers seemed quite enthusiastic about my possibilities for the Lindberg role, when he met me here at Universal where I am under contract.

I was concerned when you mentioned to Mr. Lubin that you would like to see a test.  The only one Universal has made was one of those difficult interviews in which I felt I was not very good, even though I was given a contract on the strength of it.  When the time comes for casting, I would appreciate so much you letting me talk with you rather than seeing this test, for I have improved in every way since that time.  I feel the qualities you might be seeking can better be found in a personal interview.

Again may I thank you and trust I did not take too much of your time.  I now look forward to our next meeting.

Respectfully yours,

Clint Eastwood

 

and a close-up of the signature ↓↓↓

June 11, 1944

D-Day landing forces converge

Five days after the D-Day landing, the five Allied landing groups, made up of some 330,000 troops, link up in Normandy to form a single solid front across northwestern France.

On June 6, 1944, after a year of meticulous planning conducted in secrecy by a joint Anglo-American staff, the largest combined sea, air, and land military operation in history began on the French coast at Normandy. The Allied invasion force included 3 million men, 13,000 aircraft, 1,200 warships, 2,700 merchant ships, and 2,500 landing craft.

Fifteen minutes after midnight on June 6, the first of 23,000 U.S., British, and Canadian paratroopers and glider troops plunged into the darkness over Normandy. Just before dawn, Allied aircraft and ships bombed the French coast along the Baie de la Seine, and at daybreak the bombardment ended as 135,000 Allied troops stormed ashore at five landing sites. Despite the formidable German coastal defenses, beachheads were achieved at all five landing locations. At one site–Omaha Beach–German resistance was especially strong, and the Allied position was only secured after hours of bloody fighting by the Americans assigned to it. By the evening, some 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops were ashore, and the Allies held about 80 square miles. During the next five days, Allied forces in Normandy moved steadily forward in all sectors against fierce German resistance. On June 11, the five landing groups met up, and Operation Overlord–the code name for the Allied invasion of northwestern Europe–proceeded as planned.

“D-Day landing forces converge,” The History Channel website, 2009, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5086 [accessed Jun 11, 2009]

On This Day

1509 – King Henry VIII married his first of six wives, Catherine of Aragon.

1798 – Napoleon Bonaparte took the island of Malta.

1880 – Jeanette Rankin was born. She became the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress.

1910 – Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born. He was the French underwater explorer that invented the Aqua-Lung diving apparatus.

1927 – Charles A. Lindberg was presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross.

1940 – The Italian Air Force bombed the British fortress at Malta in the Mediterranean.

1947 – The U.S. government announced an end to sugar rationing.

1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested in Florida for trying to integrate restaurants.

1963 – Buddhist monk Quang Duc immolated himself on a Saigon street to protest the government of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem.

1963 – Alabama Gov. George Wallace allowed two black students to enroll at the University of Alabama.

1993 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people who commit “hate crimes” could be sentenced to extra punishment. The court also ruled in favor of religious groups saying that they indeed had a constitutional right to sacrifice animals during worship services.

1998 – Mitsubishi of America agreed to pay $34 million to end the largest sexual harassment case filed by the U.S. government. The federal lawsuit claimed that hundreds of women at a plant in Normal, IL, had endured groping and crude jokes from male workers.

June 11, 1989

China issues warrant for Tiananmen dissident

In the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, China issues a warrant for a leading Chinese dissident who had taken refuge in the U.S. embassy in Beijing. The diplomatic standoff lasted for a year, and the refusal of the United States to hand the dissident over to Chinese officials was further evidence of American disapproval of China’s crackdown on political protesters.

In April and May 1989, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Beijing to call for greater political democracy in communist China. On June 4, Chinese soldiers and police swarmed into the center of protest activity, Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds and arresting thousands. The Chinese government used this brutal crackdown as a pretext for issuing an arrest warrant for Fang Lizhi, an internationally respected astrophysicist and leading Chinese dissident. Although Fang had not participated in the Tiananmen Square protests, he had been a consistent advocate of greater political democracy and a persistent critic of government policies. In February 1989, more than one hundred Chinese security personnel forcibly prevented Fang from meeting with visiting President George Bush.

In the June arrest warrant, Fang and his wife, Li Shuxian, were charged with “committing crimes of counter-revolutionary propaganda and instigation.” Fang and Li immediately took refuge in the U.S. embassy. Chinese officials demanded that the American government hand over the pair, but the U.S. refused. Almost exactly one year later, Fang and Li were given free passage out of the country and they left the U.S. embassy for the first time since June 1989. The action was part of a wider effort by the Chinese government to repair some of the international damage done to its reputation in the wake of the Tiananmen Square incident. In addition to Fang and Li, hundreds of other political prisoners were also released. Fang and Li traveled to the United States and took up residence. Fang continued his dissident activities against the Chinese government and taught in both America and Great Britain.

The incident indicated that feelings about what had occurred in Tiananmen Square ran high, both in the United States and China. For America, the brutal attack on the protesters repulsed most people and led Congress to pass economic sanctions against the Chinese government. In China, the refusal to hand over Fang and the U.S. criticisms of what the Chinese government considered to be a purely internal matter generated a tremendous amount of resentment. The issue of human rights in China continued to be a major issue in relations between the U.S. and China throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century.

“China issues warrant for Tiananmen dissident,” The History Channel website, 2009, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=2695 [accessed Jun 11, 2009]

Wimps lift weights, cheerleaders lift people!” [unknown].

This past weekend, my sister and I participated in the American Lung Association’s Asthma Walk at Easton Town Center. It was the perfect spring day for the event. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the temperature was warm.

We arrived early, checked in with our team’s event coordinators, visited a few vendor booths, and greeted friends. We watched as other participants arrived and, before you knew it, could see pockets of identical shirts as other groups began forming.

I enjoy participating in charity events and raising funds for a good cause. The camaraderie, collecting vendor give-a-ways, enjoying free food, listening to the bands, and being part of group of people trying to make a difference is energizing. It doesn’t matter if the event is large or small, it’s always fun to participate.

This may seem odd, but one of my very favorite parts of the day, were the cheerleaders. The Columbus Crewzers (official cheerleading team for the Columbus Crew) cheered for us as we began the three-mile walk, and they cheered for us as we finished the course. When was the last time you had group of people (in matching outfits, no less) cheering you on? I have to tell you, it’s an awesome experience!

As we rounded the corner and approached the finish line, we saw the squad lining both sides of the street, pom-poms waving in the air, shouting encouragement. Dawn remarked how great it would be if we received this same type of salute each day. I agreed it would be pretty terrific!

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Think about what would happen if, as you left for work in the morning, or before you started that new project, or as you pulled into your drive at the end of the day, a band of smiling, jumping, enthusiastic, identically-clad, people arrived waving poms in the air and shouting inspiring phrases. No doubt your spirit would lift; your confidence would soar; and you would be encouraged to do great things!

“It is energy, the central element of which is will,
that produces the miracles of enthusiasm in all ages.

“It is the mainspring of what is called forces of character and the sustaining power of all great action” [Samuel Smiles].

Unfortunately, unless you’re a member of a professional sports team, you probably don’t have your own cheer squad. Pity, really. At times, everyone needs a shot of enthusiasm. What is life without warmth, eagerness, fervor, zeal, passion and devotion [dictionary.com]? I’ll tell you what it is: it’s mundane, drudgery, mind-numbing routine. Who wants that? Not me!

The good news is that you don’t have to wait for your pep squad to arrive to change your outlook. The better news is that you control your own enthusiasm level. If you find that the intensity of your life is waning, it’s time for you to pump up the volume!

No one keeps up his enthusiasm automatically. Enthusiasm must be nourished with new actions, new aspiration, new efforts, new vision.

Compete with yourself; set your teeth and dive into the job of breaking your own record.

It is one’s own fault if his enthusiasm is gone; he has failed to feed it” [Papyrus].

Cheer for yourself. Today is better than any championship game — it’s a life-changing event. Do something new. Reach for the stars. Live the dream. Celebrate you! As Tony Robbins says, “Nothings has to happen for me to feel good. I feel good because I’m alive! Life is a gift and I revel in it.”

“It is the greatest shot of adrenaline to be doing what you’ve wanted to do so badly. You almost feel like you could fly without the plane” [Charles Lindbergh].

Whatever you are, be a good one!

Deanna