Origin of the Species

Ocean voyages tended to be melancholy undertakings in ancient times. In 1830, the captain of a British naval survey ship, the HMS Beagle, put a bullet in his head during a period of intense gloom. The following year, Robert FitzRoy, a 23-year-old gentleman of nobility, was given command of the vessel and assigned the formal task of charting coastal waters. FitzRoy, engaged to be married at the time, was a blue-blooded snob who detested conversing with the crew so he invited a friend to accompany him on the voyage in order to have someone of his own background with whom to socialize. When the friend backed out, FitzRoy soon persuaded another educated young man, age 22, to take his place, chosen primarily because of the shape of his nose which FitzRoy thought gave him character. FitzRoy's new dinner companion was named Charles Darwin. From 1831 to 1836, the HMS Beagle sailed the coastal waters of South America. FitzRoy and Darwin shared a tiny cabin and soon began to bicker. FitzRoy's passion was to find evidence for a literal, biblical interpretation of creation. Darwin, who had trained for the ministry, slowly evolved into taking a more open-minded view. Contrary to popular belief, Darwin was perplexed about evolution. He was fascinated by nature and highly reverent of animals. During the voyage, Darwin accumulated a vast amount of specimens and fossils. He studied the structure of coral reefs and developed a much-acclaimed theory about their formation. He also discovered a new species of dolphins which he named "Delphinus Fitzroyi" to honor the captain of the ship. Six years after the voyage, in 1842, Darwin began to put his theory about the survival of the fittest, although he never used that term, in writing. In fact, Darwin believed it wasn't the fittest nor smartest that survived, but rather the ones most adaptable to change. Two years later, he had completed a 230 page sketch of his ideas. Then he put his notes aside and for the next 15 years busied himself with other matters, including fathering 10 children. In the autumn of 1859, having renewed interest in his theories, Darwin sent a copy of his manuscript, titled ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES BY MEANS OF NATURAL SELECTION, to the editor of the respected British journal Quarterly Review who rejected the material and advised Darwin to write a book about pigeons instead. Darwin's manuscript was published later that year under the title ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES. It was an instant success, selling all 1,250 copies of the first edition on the first day. It has never been out of print. Darwin was tormented by his work, aware of the controversy it would cause, and referred to himself as "the Devil's Chaplain." His book instantly became a major topic of discussion among intellectuals. The thrust of Darwin's theory, commonly referred to as evolution, was that human beings may have evolved from primates without the assistance of a divine creator. Needless to say, this viewpoint was hotly contested by the clergy. In 1860, a meeting was held at the Oxford Zoological Museum to debate Darwin's theories. Over a thousand people were in attendance and hundreds were turned away at the door. During the presentation, Robert FitzRoy, former captain of the HMS Beagle, stormed into the room, waving a Bible and shouting, "The Book, The Book." Recently named head of the Meteorological Department at Oxford, FitzRoy had been at the conference to present a paper on storms. Five years later, Fitzroy committed suicide in the same manner his uncle had committed suicide decades earlier, by slitting his own throat. Apparently, he was not very adaptable to change -- Natural Selection once again working in mysterious ways. However, Natural Selection fails to explain the creation of inorganic matter. So perhaps the answer remains blowing in the wind. Darwin's legacy is still with us. Even today, mankind continues to debate the origin of the species. Some believe in a magical creation orchestrated by a divine presence, some believe we evolved from microbes and apes, and some believe we were delivered by a stork. There is even an outlandish theory that the human race was created eons ago by the genetic alteration of early humanoids (Homo erectus) by extraterrestrial entities (that descended from the heavens, also called Elohim – reptilian serpents or giants) who mingled with the Daughters of Man (earthlings) to create the Nephilim (ET/human hybrids), whereupon the resulting ET/human hybrids (in human form) then became the rulers of the world (royalty) by promoting those of their hybrid bloodline into positions of power through secret societies (Illuminati). Personally, I believe I'm the center of the universe and everything else is simply a figment of my mind. Considering the state of the world these days, I obviously have a very morbid imagination. But it really doesn't matter how we got here -- we're here and that's that. The prime objective is to figure out how we're going to survive another day and where we're going when our existence in this dimension has expired. The origin of the species is a mystery -- if you solve the mystery, it's wise to keep it to yourself. Life is simple -- keep your nose to the wind and go with the flow. ___________ Quote for the Day – "My Theory of Evolution is that Darwin was adopted." Stephen Wright ___________ Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and an array of nature's critters frolicking nearby. ___________ - -

Extreme Human Longevity

Li Ching-Yuen was born in China in 1677 and died in 1933. His life is the most thoroughly documented case of extreme longevity, spanning 256 years. Imperial Chinese government records from 1827 report that Li Ching-Yuen was congratulated on his 150th birthday and documents from 1877 report that he was congratulated on his 200th birthday. According to local folklore, he produced some 180 descendents, comprising 11 generations, and survived 14 wives. "Beautiful is old age -- beautiful as the slow-dropping mellow autumn of a rich glorious summer. In the old man, Nature has fulfilled her work; she loads him with blessings; she fills him with the fruits of a well-spent life; and, surrounded by his children and his children's children, she rocks him softly away to a grave, to which he is followed with blessings. God forbid we should not call it beautiful." J.A. Froude Li Ching Yuen was a herbalist, gathering and selling wild ginseng, lingzhi, goitu kola and Goji berry. He maintained a diet of herbs and rice wine. During his early years, Li Ching-Yuen learned methods of longevity and gathered herbs from mountain ranges. At age 71, he joined the Chinese Army as a martial arts instructor. Goji berries, also called wolfberries, are possibly the most nutritional fruit on Earth. They contain 18 amino acids, including all 8 essential amino acids, and more than 20 trace minerals (such as zinc, calcium, selenium, germanium, iron, phosphorus and many others). By weight, they have 500 times the amount of vitamin C as oranges and also contain vitamins B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E. Of all known plants on Earth, Goji berries are the richest source of carotenoids (including beta-carotene). They also contain polysaccharides, which stimulates secretion of human growth hormones by the pituitary gland and fortify the immune system. Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened -- as you get older, work is a lot less fun and fun is a lot more work -- the best course of life is to die young as late as possible. The first wealth is health -- we are what we eat. ___________ Quote for the Day – "Be content with what you have. Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." Lao Tzu ___________ Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where Goji berries are hard to find. ___________ - -

Stalking the Elusive Fnord

Chaos is an inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a natural system or in the course of human events. Discordianism is a belief system based on chaos. Some people believe it's a joke disguised as a religion, and others believe it's a religion disguised as a joke. The true believers claim it's a religion disguised as a joke disguised as a religion. While most religions cherish harmony and order, Discordianism reveres chaos, which it contends is the prevailing impulse of the universe. "There is serenity in chaos. Seek ye the eye of the hurricane." The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA, by Malaclypse (a.k.a. Greg Hall), is the foundational document of Discordianism. It describes an ideal society where there are no rules. The duality of yin and yang are replaced with "Hodge" and "Podge," represented by an apple and the pentagon. Some of the Saints include Don Quixote and Yossarian. The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA, also introduced the mysterious word "fnord," considered to be a nonsensical term meaning irrelevant information or disinformation intended to misdirect, with the implication of a conspiracy. In THE ILLUMINATI TRILOGY, a series of novels by Robert Anton Wilson (with Robert Shea), the term "fnord" was further revealed to be part of a grand conspiracy scheme by the Illuminati (meaning "the illuminated ones" -- the secret wealthy rulers of the world) whereby children in grade school are taught to be consciously unable to see the fnord (not the actual word itself but a substitute word or phrase, always in print form). Thereafter, every appearance of the substitute (consciously unseen) word or phrase creates a subconscious feeling of confusion and stifles rational thought. Fnords are placed within news media text, causing anxiety about current events. The Illuminati want society in perpetual chaos in order to maintain conformity and control. However, there are no fnords in advertising, thus encouraging consumerism and enriching the ruling class. The word "fnord" has also recently been adopted within computer Internet circles to mean something out of context, such as a random sentence, irrational text or anything out of context, intentional or otherwise. On the other hand, you have different fingers. The previous sentence was a fnord, which subconsciously compels one to idolize the author of this piece. Robert Anton Wilson was born in New York City in 1932. He attended Brooklyn Polytechnical College and New York University where he studied mathematics and engineering. He worked as an engineering aide, salesman, copywriter, and was an associate editor for Playboy magazine from 1965 to 1971. He was also a philosopher, psychologist, researcher, novelist, essayist, futurist, anarchist, and a stalker of the elusive fnord. Wilson was the author of 35 books, including THE ILLUMINATI TRILOGY, covering such topics as metaphysics, paranormal experiences, extrasensory perception, mental telepathy, quantum psychology and conspiracy theory. At the core of his literary genius, he considered the basic condition of humanity to be both comic and tragic. "Serious people are always so grim and uptight that they make me want to dance naked on the lawn playing the flute... nothing is true unless it makes you laugh, but you really don't understand it until it makes you cry." Wilson ran for governor of California in 2004 as the Guns and Dope Party candidate. The party platform was: 1) Guns for those who want them, no guns forced on those who don't want them. 2) Drugs for those who want them, no drugs forced on those who don't want them. 3) An end to Tsarism [rule by emperor] and a return to constitutional democracy. 4) Equal rights for ostriches [large birds incapable of flight that stick their heads in the sand to avoid reality]. Robert Anton Wilson confronted the fnord and found the true meaning within it. He died on January 11, 2007. His last words, typed on his personal website, were, "I don't see how to take death seriously. I look forward without dogmatic optimism, but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying." Ultimately, a fnord is the mumbo jumbo that dissolves the individual into the crowd. E Pluribus Unum. Secret societies have existed since the beginning of recorded history. The Illuminati was officially founded on May 1, 1776, by Adam Weishaupt in Bavaria. Its true leader was Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who created the Rothschild financial dynasty. The French Revolution was one of their many covert operations, disguised as freedom for the people. These days, the term “Illuminati” is used to refer to an inter-breeding, close-knit bloodline of Global Elitists in high places behind the scene who covertly manipulate outcomes all around the world. Thus, the “Illuminated Ones” have advanced knowledge of future events. The true rulers of the world today are a small group of banking houses called “International Bankers” – Rothschild, Rockefeller, etc. They lend money to governments and exert ultimate power over them for their own selfish interests. They control executive officers, legislative bodies, mainstream media, monetary systems, education, and instigate global conflict to further their cause (divide and conquer, appropriate and control). Their goal is a one-world government with them at the helm. And they don’t take kindly to those who refuse to submit quietly to being enslaved. Robert Anton Wilson was one of many who have sounded the alarm. The purpose of government is to ensure the freedom of the individual within a level playing field, not to meet in secrecy to scheme ways to enrich and empower themselves. Equal rights for ostriches. ___________ Quote for the Day – “Out of these troubled times, a New World Order can emerge.” George Herbert Walker Bush ___________ Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and an imaginary girlfriend named Tequila Mockingbird. ___________ - -

Skull and Bones and Geronimo

Goyathlay (one who yawns) was born in June of 1829 to the Bedonkohe band of Apache near Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Gila River, in New Mexico. He was raised according to Apache tradition and married a woman from the Chiricahua band of Apache when he was 17 years old. They had three children.

 

In 1832, a secret society known as "Skull and Bones" was founded by certain privileged male students at Yale University.

 

On March 5, 1851, some 400 Mexican soldiers from Sonora attacked Goyathlay's camp, killing Goyathlay's mother, wife and children. Goyathlay and the other men were elsewhere at the time.

 

Although he was never a chief, Goyathlay soon became a ferocious military leader. In one battle, he repeatedly attacked Mexican soldiers with a knife, ignoring an onslaught of bullets.

 

The Mexicans gave him a nickname, after St. Jerome -- they called him Geronimo.

 

Geronimo refused to acknowledge the United States Government. He fought U.S. and Mexican Armies for more than a decade. To his people, he was renowned for his "power" because he was blessed with profound spiritual knowledge and protected by Usen, the Apache high-god. He had the ability to walk without leaving tracks and was metaphysically gifted (telepathy, telekinesis). Wounded many times by bullets, he always survived.

 

In 1886, Geronimo was finally captured after numerous daring escapes and sent to prison in Florida.

 

Later, he became famous in his old age. In 1904, he appeared at the World's Fair in St. Louis and rode in President Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade the following year.

 

Geronimo died on February 17, 1909.

 

There is an ominous, windowless building on the campus of Yale University called the Tomb. It houses the secret society known as Skull and Bones. It's basically a private club for young men of privilege, many of whom go on to become captains of industry, Supreme Court justices, cabinet officers and presidents.

 

Only 15 new seniors, called Neophytes, are chosen each year to become Bonesmen. They are sworn to a lifetime of secrecy and must go through a series of rituals to become a member. For example, they're required to stand naked in the presence of other Bonesmen and recount their entire sexual history. Upon acceptance, Neophytes are shoved to their knees and knighted by a Bonesman tapping a sword on the Neophyte's left shoulder and saying, "By the order of our order, I dub thee Knight of Euloga."

 

Outlandish ceremonies are commonplace in the Tomb. In one ritual, a woman holds a knife and pretends to slash the throat of another person lying down before her, as Bonesmen yell and scream at the Neophytes. In another ceremony, Bonesmen wear devil costumes and pretend to perform satanic acts of torture on Neophytes who are also required to lie in a coffin at various times.

 

Death seems to be one of the major themes in the Tomb. There are more than a dozen skulls and several coffins scattered throughout the premises. Wall paintings are replete with scenes of death and destruction.

 

Also on display is a glass case containing one of their sacred treasures -- a bloodied knife and the skull of Geronimo.

 

Prescott Bush was a Bonesman. He and other members of Skull and Bones dug up Geronimo's grave at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, when stationed there in 1918 during World War I, removing the skull and some other bones.

 

Prescott Bush is the father of former president George H. W. Bush and grandfather of former president George W. Bush, both of whom were also Bonesmen at Yale.

 

On February 17, 2009, the 100th anniversary of Geronimo's death, his great-grandson, Harlyn Geronimo, filed a lawsuit in Washington DC claiming that members of Skull and Bones stole the remains of Geronimo decades ago. The descendants wanted Geronimo's remains turned over to the family so he could be reburied near his birthplace in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness.

 

Bonesmen are young men from wealthy and powerful families. In their circle, they can do no wrong. They have a lofty opinion of their position in society and strive to keep it that way. They refer to the rest of society as "barbarians." In their elite world, you're either a Bonesman or a barbarian.

 

Skull and Bones is a secret society that lusts for dominance and worships death. Its members are ambitious men of wealth and power who help other members reach positions of wealth and power. Their antics are infantile, sadomasochistic and disgusting. In all probability, the purpose of their satanic behavior is to compromise the dignity of its members to ensure a lifetime of loyalty to the society.

 

Once a Bonesman, always a Bonesman.

 

These are the true barbarians of this world.

 

In 2004, George W. Bush and John Kerry were the two presidential candidates. Both had been members of Skull and Bones at Yale, although not at the same time. Neither would answer any questions about the secret society.

 

This bloodline of influential families controls global banking, which in turn controls governments and the media.

 

The world is being methodically manipulated by a group of powerful people in high places whose ultimate goal is a One World Government with them in control. And the robotic masses go along with it because they buy into the programming of the educational system and the media. The greed-heads at the top, who want to control the world, feed off the greed-heads below, who always want more than they need or can reasonably afford.

 

Geronimo yearned to be free. It cost him the lives of his mother, his wife and his children, and eventually cost him his freedom.

 

"I was no chief and never had been, but because I had been more deeply wronged than others, this honor was conferred upon me, and I resolved to prove worthy of the trust." Geronimo

 

In February of 2009, one hundred years after his death, Geronimo still yearned to be free.

 

The sordid fellows of Skull and Bones have chosen to display Geronimo's remains in their private meeting quarters.

 

If there is any justice in this cold cruel world, they will turn over Geronimo's remains to his family, offer an apology, disband their insidious secret society of human depravity and exorcise the Tomb of its demons, preferably by an Apache Holy Man.

 

On May 1, 2011, Osama Bin Laden was sitting on the floor in an upper room of his secret compound in Pakistan, watching TV, which contained a significant number of pornography channel options. That evening, a U.S. Navy SEAL team stormed the compound and sent Osama Bin Laden off to that special place in another dimension where 72 virgins welcome every mass murderer with delightful acts pleasure as a reward for a job well done.

 

The U.S. intelligence code name for Bin Laden was Geronimo. This code name has offended those who have descended from Geronimo's Native American Indian tribe.

 

The Native American Indian understood the spirituality of the earth and the sky, and the nobility of all the living creatures.  They could not comprehend the antics of the white men who sequestered them onto reservations to learn to become like the white man.

 

Perhaps the white man is stupid, selling his soul in the name of progress.

___________

 

Quote for the Day – "All we wanted was peace and to be left alone." Crazy Horse

___________

 

Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where peace is a state of mind.

___________

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Hotel California

I lived in the Los Angeles area for 11.5 years (1975-1986), where I also moved a dozen times within the area for various reasons, including a 5-year marriage and subsequent divorce. I particularly liked the village of Topanga, in the hills between the San Fernando Valley and the ocean, above Malibu, and lived in 3 different locations in those hills.

 

The first place in Topanga was a nice A-frame on a hill. The guy who rented it to me told me that the building up at the top of the hill, less than a hundred yards away, on the corner of the dirt road to the rental house, was the original Hotel California, presently occupied by other musicians.

 

This was no surprise to me since Topanga was home to many musicians, artists, writers, performers and various other misfits. Plus, the building looked like one of those old Spanish Missions that exist in various places in California. I would occasionally sit outside on my upper balcony, with a cup of tea in the morning, and meditate while viewing the splendid structure at the top of my hill -- such a lovely place -- such a lovely place.

 

The A-frame was one of my favorite places I've called home over the years, having lived now at over 50 addresses in 12 states. But a computer contract at the other end of the Valley forced me to move on once again after a year or two.

 

Yes, indeed, I once lived just down the hill from the original Hotel California, immortalized in the song "Hotel California" by The Eagles.

 

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here

 

(lyrics -- Hotel California)

 

The Eagles (Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, Don Felder) are one of the world's best selling bands of all time, having sold more than 150 million records.

 

Formed in Los Angeles in 1971, The Eagles have had 5 Number-One singles, 6 Number-One albums and have received 6 Grammy Awards.

 

Two of their albums (Greatest Hits & Hotel California) were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the USA, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

 

Hotel California was one of their greatest songs.

 

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain,
"Please bring me my wine"
He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969"
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis

 

(lyrics -- Hotel California)

 

Since I have been writing many non-fiction books containing various scattered topics, I decided to finally write a piece about the original Hotel California -- so I did some research. Unfortunately, my research brought me back to earth about the location of Hotel California.

 

Apparently, Don Henley and Glenn Frey wrote most of the words. None of the band members were from California and as they drove into the Los Angeles area at night, they could see the glow of lights on the horizon.

 

Hotel California is "basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about." Don Henley

 

There is no Hotel California -- it's an abstract vision of the hedonism of Southern California and the self-destruction of the music industry in the late 1970s.

 

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax, " said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"

(lyrics -- Hotel California)

 

Glenn Frey used the phrase "steely knives" in the lyric as a playful acknowledgement to the band Steely Dan, who had included "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did."

 

"Hey, I didn't make a big deal out of Hotel California -- the 18 million people that bought it did." Glenn Frey

 

Glen Frey of the Eagles passed on to the Grand Hotel in the Sky, at age 67, on January 18, 2016.

 

Thanks for the music -- Rest in Peace.

 

* * *

 

Hotel California -- you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

 

I always liked southern California, particularly the funky Topanga area. Even though I checked out many moons ago, I can never really leave because I still have fond memories and many friends lingering there.

 

After doing some research on the property up the hill from the house I rented, I learned that it was built in the 1930s as a country club.

 

In the 1940s, it was renovated into a gambling house owned by infamous Los Angeles gangster, Mickey Cohen, and operated by a former vice cop.

 

Over the years, it had become an American Legion hall, a theater, a boarding house, a celebrated artist's retreat featuring chamber music, etc.

 

By the time I lived nearby for a couple of years in the early 1980s, the place was badly deteriorated, with some musicians and several feral cats living there.

 

In 1989, a local artist bought the property and spent some 25 years renovating the property.

 

It is now called Sublime Topanga Villa -- "a horticultural retreat for the rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit, and for the preservation of our natural, architectural and historical heritage."

 

If you're ever in need of rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit -- check out the Sublime Topanga Villa and get your head screwed back on.

___________

 

Quote for the Day – "California is where you get to start over." Tracy Chevalier

___________

 

Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and has fond memories of Hotel California.

___________

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High School for Gladiators

 Robbinsdale High School, in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, was once the home of the mighty Robin, a rather timid bird that eats worms and deposits globs of goop onto automobiles.

 

The high school no longer exists but robins still flourish in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

 

In the 1940s and 1950s, Robbinsdale High School was legendary in team sports, particularly in wrestling where they were state champions on a regular basis.

 

Verne Gagne was a graduate of Robbinsdale High School in 1943. In 1944, he won the Big Ten wrestling championship in his weight class as a freshman. After a couple of years in the Marines, he returned to the University of Minnesota and became Big Ten champion in 1947, 1948 and 1949. He was also NCAA champion in 1948 and 1949, a member of the Olympic team in 1948 and AAU wrestling champion in 1949.

 

Gagne went on to become one of the most successful professional wrestlers in history, winning many heavyweight championships. Years later, he became owner of the AWA (American Wrestling Association).

 

One of Gagne's professional wrestling opponents was Larry "The Axe" Hennig, a graduate of Robbinsdale High School in the 1950s. Hennig played villain to Gagne's good guy image.

 

Beyond the obvious theatrics, professional wrestlers are gifted athletes with an abundance of strength and coordination. They are also nasty dudes. If you don't believe it, walk up to one and slap him upside the head. The next 20 seconds of your life with be incredibly exciting, followed by a long period of pain and regret.

 

Many other professional wrestlers were products of Robbinsdale High School.

 

• Curt Hennig (class of 1976) – dubbed "Mr. Perfect" by the promoters, Curt was the son of Larry Hennig. He was an all-around high school athlete who had been offered college scholarships in football, baseball and wrestling. As a pro wrestler, he was a top performer on several circuits.

 

• Rick Rood (class of 1976) -- became Ravishing Rick Rude, a major headliner with a chiseled body and a narcissistic attitude. Former pro wrestler Eddie Sharkey once said, "People didn't realize how tough this guy was. He'd slap guys with an open hand and it looked like their head exploded."

 

• Tom Zenk (class of 1976) – also known as the "Z-Man," he was a very prolific "scientific" wrestler who became champion of the PNW (Pacific Northwest Wrestling).

 

• Dean Peters (class of 1976) – former high school gymnast (team captain) who wrestled under the name of Brady Boone. He became a very acrobatic wrestler, later known as the "Battle Kat."

 

• John Nord (class of 1977) – known as "The Barbarian," Nord was a big bruiser who also played professional football with the New Jersey Generals of the now defunct USFL.

 

• Steve Simpson (class of 1977) – became the Russian villain "Nikita Koloff" in the ring. Wrestled in Georgia Championship Wrestling, the NWA and the WCW.

 

• Barry Darsow (class of 1978) – mostly performed as the "Smash" character of Demolition (Ax, Smash, Crush). In the WWF he was "The Repo Man" and in the WCW he was "The Blacktop Bully."

 

By the way, Dick Timm (RHS 61, wrestler, football player) told me that Vern Gagne tried to recruit him into Gagne's stable of pro wresters and wanted him to gain 50 pounds to get into the program. But Timm refused to gain the weight and turned it down.

 

Robbinsdale High School was not for the timid -- one of the items on the luncheon menu was a cup of nails. If you could survive it, you were prepared for anything the rest of the world throws at you.

 

I was a survivor of the RHS Class of 1962. When I was a junior, we were the Minnesota state wrestling champions once again. We were also the state champions in football that year as well.

 

I wasn't a wrestler though. Rolling around on a mat in the clutches of some sweaty psychopath was not my idea of fun. I preferred more gentlemanly activities, such as pocket billiards and chasing skirts, neither of which was sanctioned by the school. I did reasonably well in pocket billiards but was a bust in my other endeavor.

___________

 

Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and has fond memories of the Land of 10,000 Lakes

___________

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Oak Leaf Clusters

 A hero is someone who understands the responsibility of this existence and reacts accordingly.

 

Pamela Murphy died on April 8, 2010, at age 90. She had spent 35 years as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda Veterans Administration in southern California, where she gave special treatment to every soldier under her care. She would cut through the VA red tape and made sure the soldier saw whatever specialist they needed, including marching a veteran directly into the doctor's office if he had been waiting for more than an hour.

 

The veterans loved her and always called her Mrs. Murphy. In 2002, her job was scheduled to be eliminated due to budget cuts. The veterans held a rally for Mrs. Murphy outside the VA gates. Soon, orders came down from above that Mrs. Murphy's job would not be eliminated after all.

 

Mrs. Murphy remained working full time at the VA until she was 87 years old.

 

For you see, Pamela Murphy was the wife of Audie Murphy (1925 - 1971), the most decorated soldier in World War II.

 

Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor award citation reads as follows: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

 

As the most decorated veteran of World War II, some of Audie Murphy's 33 medals include: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (with Oak Leak Cluster and Valor device), Purple Heart (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award, U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (with Oak Leaf Cluster), American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with 1 Silver Service Star and 4 Bronze Service Stars, representing 9 campaigns, and 1 Bronze Arrowhead, representing assault landing at Southern France and Italy), World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (with German Clasp), Armed Forces reserve Medal, French Legion of Honor (Grade of Chevalier), French Croix de guerre (with Silver Star), French Croix de guerre (with Palm), Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm), and others.

 

An Oak Leaf Cluster signifies a subsequent award of the same decoration. First Lieutenant Audie Murphy was one of the very few officers below the rank of lieutenant colonel ever to be awarded the Legion of Merit.

 

Audie Murphy stood 5' 5" and enlisted into the U.S. Army at age 16 by lying about his age.

 

After World War II, Audie Murphy went on to become a movie star, starring in 40 Hollywood movies. He died in a plane crash in 1971 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

 

Audie and Pamela Murphy once lived in a comfortable ranch-style house in Van Nuys. But Audie squandered his Hollywood wealth on gambling, bad investments and other women. Pamela was stuck with Audie's debts after his death and forced to move into a small apartment with their two sons. She then found employment at the nearby VA facility and supported the veterans for the next 35 years of her life.

 

On this spinning orb called Earth, we are all flawed souls and potential heroes. Every thought we generate and every action we pursue is a choice. You can make the world a better place or you can make it a worse place. Or you can make babies, watch TV, go dancing, play golf, buy more bling-bling and wax your legs, thereby making no difference at all.

 

Choose wisely -- your destiny in eternity may depend on it.

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Quote for the Day -- "Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy." F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and is a U.S. Army veteran, have been drafted in 1966 (Vietnam Era) and assigned to 3rd Army Headquarters in Atlanta as a data processing analyst.

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