Zero G And I Feel Fine

I’m unsure how much or how long is 50 years. Less than half of all Americans have attained the age 50, so they don’t know. For the rest of us, well does 50 years really seem just like yesterday?

It does to astronaut John Glenn, who 50 years ago on February 20, 1962 became the first American to orbit the Earth. In a very recent news interview Glenn said he remembers his Friendship 7 orbital mission as if it had occurred yesterday. I guess maybe it did, in one sense, seem like it was all just yesterday.

The ground crew was plenty worried in 1962 about having a man in space for a prolonged period of time. No one knew anything about total weightlessness, and traveling around in circles at 18,000 miles per hour, but Glenn quickly assured everyone below on the surface of our planet that he in fact was experiencing zero-G and felt perfectly fine.

It is said today that the amount of technology found in a modern day car or truck well exceeds that which powered and guided Glenn’s spaced capsule for three orbits around the Earth in what was about a 5-hour flight. Now in 2012, and much to Glenn’s private disappointment,  Americans can no longer go into space and in fact rely upon Russia to ferry our astronauts to the International Space Station. Thank you, I guess.

You see, the Space Race of the 1950s and 1960s was just that – a race to see who was the superior Superpower – the USA or Soviet Union – all based upon who could first get a man into space, land him on the moon and safely see his return back to Earth. There also came to be other Superpower contests between our two nations, but none had the grandeur of traveling into outer space. 

America won that Space Race by the way. All of mankind won when humans collectively displayed their ingenuity and reserve in putting a man first into space, then into space and around the Earth a few times, then men on an extended mission to get real close to the moon and finally in July, 1969 America landed two of its citizens on the moon and returned them safely to Earth.

This achievement is precisely what Kennedy outlined as his formidable goal for our nation in a speech given nine months prior to Glenn’s mission before a special joint session of Congress in May, 1961. Who knows where mankind might journey in the next 50 years? Godspeed John Glenn and again thank you.

Sharing A Passion

A lot of people show their remarkable quality and talent through sharing with others a particular passion - be that a vocation, a hobby, a quest, or perhaps seeking a solution to a problem or issue. Recreational boaters, for example, are benefiting by the recent accomplishments of two men who each have a passion for the outdoors and who uniquely crafted their own answer to a specific question.

West Milton, Ohio resident Tom Mayor once was asked by his young son what makes a river a (designated) scenic river. Dad did not have a capable answer. As a result, Mayor embarked upon a lengthy effort and enlisted the support of the Ohio Division of Watercraft and others as he learned about Ohio’s scenic rivers. His eventual reply to his son’s question results from a three-year effort that led to filming and production of a 95-minute documentary titled “Call of the Scenic River: An Ohio Journey”.

The film was first released publicly in January through special premier screenings to small audiences in several communities in southwest Ohio. Mayor, owner of The Message Shop in West Milton, is working in partnership with Rivers Unlimited to handle primary distribution and DVD sales of his film. He has released the public performance rights so that local groups may host paid public film screenings and retain the proceeds of DVD sales in their effort to raise awareness about water quality.

The second man is Camby, Indiana resident and retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Jeff Thompson who suffers from a degenerative spinal disc disease. The former fighter pilot and test pilot chose not to give up his passion for sport fishing and to fight through his disabling condition so that he and possibly others could skipper their own fishing boat unaided by an assisting person and stay active on the water.

Working on an idea he conceived with a business partner and with assistance from Ranger Boats, the Fish N’ Rail Removable Security System became a reality two years ago. Fish N’ Rail consists of a removable tubular stainless steel handicap-accessible rail system that can be installed on certain fishing boats. “The idea of doing something for our wounded warriors returning from military service and others who are faced with mobility challenges looking again to enjoy recreational boating and fishing, is the motivation behind this innovative design,” Thompson said to me during an interview in 2010 at the Indianapolis Boat Show.

Thompson’s most recent update is that rights to the sales, marketing and manufacture of the Fish N’ Rail system have been sold to EPCO Corporation of Ft. Wayne (IN), which has been in the stainless steel manufacturing business for more than 50 years and a vendor for many boat manufacturers, including Ranger Boats

“Now, with clearance from my surgeon, I hope to enter the BASS PVA Tournament Trail to demonstrate the usefulness of  the Fish’n Rail system and promote Operation Troop Salute throughout the series while fishing from my Ranger 521, in addition to motivational meetings on “hope for spinal cord injuries”, said Thompson.

His 2012 schedule extends from Georgia, Florida, to Kentucky and Illinois, northeast to the Potomac River in Washington DC, up to New Hampshire and finally back to Oklahoma.  Additionally, he plans to be at Anglers Choice Open House, fish in the Military National Team Tournament in Alabama, and attend the Bassmaster Classic and FLW Championship. 

I'm Red All Over

Red is for love and red is for roses. Red is for danger and is a reminder to stop at an intersection. Red is for candied liquorice and M&Ms. Red is for fire trucks and for “red letter days”. Red is for a sunburn and results from becoming very angry or even embarrassed. Red is for funky tennis shoes, a drop of blood and crayons. Red also is in fashion and encouraged to be worn Friday, February 3 to support a heart health awareness campaign aimed at women, though men are encouraged to join in as well and support the cause.

The American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign (www.goredforwomen.org) is a national effort to foster awareness for recognizing that heart disease is a leading cause of death among adults – women AND men. This special effort focuses on women’s health awareness because heart disease and heart attacks, typically in research and media coverage, over the years have largely been long associated with men only - to the exclusion of women.

If you begin your research of this heart health issue by visiting the AHA’s Go Red For Women web site, you’ll find that heart disease among women is a very serious health issue that undoubtedly touches the lives of many – including you perhaps.

Though typically I do not so advocate specific causes in the contents of this column (because if you do it for one then you perhaps should do it for so many more) the issue of heart disease in women hits close to home here and for many others on my planet. So on February 3, please wear some red and show your support and let others know that you are, as well, behind the effort to educate and increase public awareness of a very serious women’s health issue. Thanks.