-Citizenship: Still a vital competency- If we fail to instill the core values that reinforce love of freedom and democracy, we risk losing the behaviors originating with those core values—the actions and leadership vital to protecting freedom and democracy. If we fail to develop the competencies needed by citizens of a democratic republic, we will … Continue reading Flags and Futures
-North Jacksonville 48-star School Classroom Flag Honored- Remarks by Dr. Tracy D. Connors, CAPT USN (Ret) during opening ceremonies for 60th Reunion of the Andrew Jackson High School Class of 1956 on May 21, 2016. Tonight we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the class of 1956 finally escaping from Andrew Jackson Senior High school. Before … Continue reading It’s Still a Grand Old Flag
Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back, and, instead of bleeding, he sings. —Robert Benchley On that note, this recollection might be considered an aria, or at least a simple arpeggio sharing some thoughts and perspective on a topic we all probably know a great deal about – rejection. An email I … Continue reading Rejecting Rejection: being thrown back to the future
Mice That Roar and the journey to the Ph.D. A Vietnamese proverb about a mouse sticking his head in the mouth of a large carnivore, at first consideration, may seem a strange way to envision the road to PhD. “…the mouse does not know life until it has been into the mouth of the cat.” … Continue reading Mice That Roar and the journey to the Ph.D.
From a slot machine, run by steam, to a boarding house that was serving suspicious “spare ribs,” a new Boy Scout Camper learns a lot while singing in the Pavillion. Awful Camp Songs Sung on My First Camping Trip In 1951, when I was barely eleven years old, I joined Boy Scout troop 222 in … Continue reading Awful Camp Songs Sung On My First Camping Trip
In ancient Rome, when booty was piled up, the Latin term they used was pilare, to plunder, or to “pile up booty.” That meaning was derived from the word pila, or “pile” (think pillar). As time moved forward, as time inexorably does, “peel” acquired additional nuances, all derived from the “pile up” original meaning. For … Continue reading Pearl Street Peel Out
My recent recollections of Congressman Charles E. (“Charlie”) Bennett, who represented Northeast Florida’s (then) Third Congressional District for decades led a reader to conclude: “I’ll bet Congressman Bennett would be out of his mind by now working in Congress and trying to make America a better place to live. I think our country is in … Continue reading What Would Charlie Bennett Do…
The mortal remains of the most Honorable Charles E. Bennett, M.C. were interred in Arlington National Cemetery following his death in 2003. This resting place of honor for him among our nation’s heroes is especially appropriate. Not only did he earn that privilege through physical courage under fire in combat, but he earned all the honor and … Continue reading Congressman Charles E. Bennett: A Great American Statesman and Patriot
Democracy has always been a historical rarity. If we look at human history in terms of frequency and duration, monarchies have prevailed. The historian team of Will and Ariel Durant, after decades of comparative study, considered democracies as “hectic interludes.” Today, functional democracies are found in relatively few countries. All of them are facing economic … Continue reading Democracies As “Hectic Interludes”
Moving from seventh grade at North Shore Elementary School to eighth grade at the larger, much more “cosmopolitan” Kirby-Smith Junior High School was stressful, what with the older, larger, tougher kids from other parts of Jacksonville, Florida. That transition from bush league to big time was made much easier for me by a big fella … Continue reading Ernest Craun, a life well lived, RIP