Pop Culture reflects the mood and spirit of the times. So during a traumatic event, the right song can become a balm for healing. Such was the case for this turn-of-the-century song.
In November of 2000, Irish singer Enya released the album, A Day Without Rain. And one of the singles on that album was - Only Time
In 2000, Enya explained its meaning in an interview:
"I had to stop putting the pressure on myself, because of relationships coming and going, but if relationships aren't working that means they're not right. That's what the single Only Time is about." [reference: Enya News: A Day Without Rain Article ]
In response to the terrorist attacks, Only Time resonated with those seeking solace from the storm and looking forward to normalcy as the nation's psyche healed from this wound.
I clearly remember that day of the Memorial Day weekend in 1971. My mother looked at the morning newspaper and said that, mourning a loss of a great American hero, who perished in an airplane crash.
Frankly, a teenager at the time, I really didn't know anything about Audie Murphy. Yes, this dates me as a baby-boomer, whose parents were, as Tom Brakow coined the word: The Greatest Generation. My parents lived through the Great Depression, which ended with the onset of World War II.
I later learned one of the greatest heroes of that war was Audie Murphy. In fact, he was the most decorated World War II combat soldier, perhaps in all American history. [reference: Audie Murphy Facts]
And this soldier is the subject of part 5 of the CC (The Commander and the Chief) thread.
In this scene, Lord Wise briefs Colonel Jack Sheffield about another American hero, Admiral Connor Quinn, at a London tavern. The Admiral had died mysteriously and his widow is assembling a team to get to the bottom of his accident.
“Back to Admiral Quinn,” Jack continued when they were
alone, “word is, as a POW, he talked Yasser Nasser out of deploying his nukes,
surrendering to the allies, and destroying all his weapons of mass destruction.
That feat is legendary. Surely it’ll go down in the annals of military
history.”
“Quite.” Wise put away his reading glasses. “And not long
after the war, the Admiral and Yasser Nasser were awarded the Alfred Peace
Prize.”
“With much pomp and ceremony.” Jack wiped the brew from his
blond mustache. “But the Admiral’s death. Why would an admiral be flying alone?
Into hostile air space? Especially where he’d previously been shot down? You
send a drone, or one of your lackeys, someone more expendable. Not the Hero of
the Dust Devil War.”
Wise glanced about, then lowered his voice. “Precisely. The
press reported it as an unfortunate accident. They likened it to the death of
Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of World War Two. Murphy,
too, was tragically killed in a plane crash, years later after the war.”
“And that should be the end of the story.” Jack finished his
brew.
“But it’s not.” Wise continued, “The US Navy SEALs were
alleged to have retrieved the Admiral’s remains in the desert—in the Forbidden
Area. The Admiral’s body was apparently badly mangled. That’s why he had a
closed casket funeral. He ostensibly has been laid to rest at Arlington
National Cemetery in a very public display on American television.”
Jack squinted at Wise. “Sounds like you have doubts.”
“My client…she has many unanswered questions.” Wise rubbed
his chin. “Dr. Orlovic has exhausted her resources at home. All her inquiries
have been met with stonewalling and threats as she digs for answers. She
believes the Todd Administration is covering up something terrible.”
Lord Wise seals the deal with Colonel Sheffield with a reference to one of Audie Murphy's movies, To Hell and Back.
“Dr. Orlovic is waiting at the Gladstone Hotel as we speak.
Indeed. She has serious doubts. And she’s wholly committed to do all she can to
find her husband. Or at least find out what really happened to him.” Wise
finished his brew. “The logistics are in place. I’ve hired other agents. They
know only what they need to know. But you’re a critical piece, Colonel. An
experienced soldier I can trust to lead this mission to hell and back.”
“Why should I meddle in this American affair? What’s in it
for me?”
“First of all, we gambled that you’d take this job.” Then
Wise showed a page on his mobile display. “But I’m counting on my client’s
offer being one you cannot refuse.” Jack’s blue eyes opened as wide as the Atlantic Ocean when he saw the seven-figure offer. “I’m in!” And they shook on it.
After the war, Audie Murphy went to Hollywood. It took him a while to break into show business, but from 1948 to 1969 he made 44 films, a TV series, and other appearances. [reference: Audie Murphy - IMDb] He was also a successful songwriter (1962 - 1970). [reference: Songs by Audie]
This snippet from 1955 on What's My Line, before the movie To Hell and Back was released, tells what a big movie star he was in his day: Audie Murphy What's My Line on 3 July, 1955
But his life was not a bed of roses after the war ... Audie Murphy and PTSD
Audie Murphy suffered from what we call post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with symptoms of insomnia, nightmares, depression. He battled addictions and suffered a tumultuous first marriage, which ended in divorce. But later he championed the returning Vietnam veterans and lobbied the government to extend health care to treat their PSTD and mental health problems. [reference: Audie Murphy and PTSD] No Fairy Tale Ending
Gambling, womanizing, bad investments, bad publicity took their toll on this hero. In the late 1960s, Audie Murphy was bankrupt and his reckless actions had tarnished his public image. [reference: Audie Murphy Facts]
My favorite site, The Audie Murphy Story: oldbluejacket.com/AudieMurphy One final thought of bravery: "Loyalty to your comrades, when you come right down to it, has more to do with bravery in battle than even patriotism does. You may want to be brave, but your spirit can desert you when things really get rough. Only you find you can't let your comrades down and in the pinch they can't let you down either." Audie Murphy
And in the spirit of honoring those in World War Two, we are grateful for all veterans who have served and for those who still serve to keep us safe, home and abroad.
August 14, 1945 was the dawn, ending those dark days from 1939 - 1945 which were marked by a horrific world war. World War II left no continent untouched and a devastating body count. With causalities approaching 70 million, it may have been the worst war in recorded human history, such seen in this interactive video: The Fallen of World War II on Vimeo
But as the Psalmist wrote:
"... weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning."
Psalm 30:5 (KJV)
Finally the night of weeping ended and joy came with the unconditional surrender of Japan bringing with it a promise of peace. This iconic kisswas a snapshot of that day - capturing the spirit of VJ Day - Victory over Japan. And I wrote about it five years ago in this blog: A kiss immortalized in August 14, 1945
And 70 years ago was a different time. During World War Two, America was united. We were bold and committed to what FDR said in his Pearl Harbor speech -
"No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. ...
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God." from: FDR: Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation
Yet, FDR would not live to see the end of the war, but died in office on April 12, 1945. [reference: FDR Dies]
But he inspired us to never give up and overcome in the face of overwhelming odds, like he never gave up when faced with a crippling handicap, as dramatized in this scene: The best part of the movie "Pearl Harbor"
And though I wasn't born yet, my parents had not met yet, it does make me feel nostalgic for a time when all Americans are united, again, and determined to fight for the right. And in the end experience ...
That's a throwback to medieval science, isn't it? And didn't Columbus debunk the "flat Earth" when he "discovered" America? Or so says the myth.
But actually, the ancient philosophers and learned understood that the Earth was round, at least as far back as the ancient Greeks. [reference: Who Discovered The Earth is Round?]
Today, the term Flat Earther has become an epithet for someone who adheres to outmoded beliefs and ideas. And there really exists such a groups as The Flat Earth Society. And they still make the case ... you guessed it ... for a flat Earth.
Some may laugh. Flat Earth? That can't possibly be. Well, ...
It depends ....
According to Einstein and the great scientists before him, such as Lorentz and Maxwell, the length - including the "flatness" of the Earth, for example - is not absolute, but depends on your reference frame.
The video below take a serious scientific look at the flat Earth:
Indeed, our latest knowledge of physics indicate, if you are going near the speed of light, the Earth is flat as a pancake. And that point was made about 7 minutes into the video.
Again, here are the numbers, which could be the answers to homework problems given in any college modern physics course:
* For cosmic ray protons, for example, moving at 99.9999999999991% of speed of light, the Earth only appears 17 meters thick, essentially flat
But to us Earthlings, our reference frame, the Earth is ball shaped. Yet, to cosmic travelers zipping along near light speed, it's a flat Earth. At least in their direction of motion.
Why does length contract?
I had a physic professor who said - and rightly so - there is no answer to why nature behaves as it does. All we have are descriptions. And that's what all those equations are about. They describe phenomenon, make predictions of their behavior, and can be reproduced with the same results. If they fail to do so, it's back to the drawing board. (And that can be a subject of another post.)
As for length contraction, here is a mini-lecture from a modern physics class describing its observed behavior: Physics: Length Contraction
Ball or Sphere?
But what of the claims of a Flat Earth, regardless of our reference frame? Consider the philosophy of Ockham's Razor:
Welcome to Part 4 of my The Commander and the Chief thread, known more succinctly as CC. It follows anything related to ... you guessed it ... The Commander and the Chief series.
Today's topic is books, any books, and what's inside ... the story. When engaged with a reader, ...
Also, some research suggest that for a book in print, we gain all these benefits:
1. Increased intelligence
2. Brain power boost
3. Increased empathy
4. Increased understanding of what is read
5. Possible way to fight Alzheimer's disease
6. Help in relaxation
7. Help in getting to sleep
8. Reading habit that is contagious to our neighbors
On the topic of the Power of the Story, I've crafted a novel in my latest eBook, His Tribe of One, the first in The Commander and the Chief series. And now that story is available in paperback.
It can be purchased directly as a paperback on createspace.com
It was a lifetime ago, 70 years. It was then the world's first atom bomb exploded. It was a test in the desert of New Mexico, near the end of World War II. And the silent film below shows what happened :
Less than a month after this atomic test, Japan was bombed with this new weapon: Hiroshima on August 6th, and Nagasaki on August 9th. And Japan's Emperor Hirohito unconditionally surrendered on August 14/15, citing this "new and most cruel bomb." This date became known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan) and was followed by the formal surrender was on the US battleship Missouri off the coast of Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II. [reference: Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - World War II - HISTORY.com ]
What history overlooks is the B-29 firebombings of Japan the previous months of March - August 1945) under command of General Curtis LeMay. Those bombing killed far more combatants and civilians than the two atomic bombs. [reference: Curtis LeMay | World War II Database ] Yet, because of the shock of this "new and most cruel bomb" those deaths seemed eclipsed.
Yet, the bombing ended the war, most likely the most terrible war in recorded human history. Some put the total deaths of World War II over 70 million, with virtually no part of the planet untouched by this global conflict. [reference: World War 2 statistics ]
The Enormity of that War:
The one nation that really took a hit was the former Soviet Union at 25 million deaths, followed by China at 15 million, and Germany at 8 million.
The video shows the perspective of World War II death counts. It compares to other wars and ongoing conflicts since World War II:
Since then, in the United States we had conflicts and wars: Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I and II, as well as the Cold War and other conflicts throughout the world. All these are tragic, especially to those who lost loved ones. But the video shows these were minor in comparison to World War Two. Same case can be made for the other countries of the world.
The Long Peace is debated, but it asks the question: Are we living in a modern Pax Romana?
Perhaps.
Giving Peace a Chance
Peace is hard to quantify as it has a qualitative meaning as well as lack of immense global conflict. But during the 1960s and 1970s this theme of peace was echoed in the Baby Boomer generation. There was no World War III, at least on the scale of World War II, but it seemed we all seemed to live under a specter of an imminent nuclear holocaust during the Cold War.
Anyone who watches the news - if it bleeds, it leads - sees we still are fighting each other. But the scale is nothing like it was over 70 years ago. May the Long Peace continue as we Give Peace a Chance ...
You must be an old timer then. :) It was last century. Actually last millennium. Back then, we were all bracing for the dreaded ...
Y2K - the year 2000
For some, it was the End of the World. And for grins, here are some of those predictions of Armageddon, nuclear holocaust, the End Times: 10 Failed Doomsday Predictions (2009)
Side note: It's interesting when Jesus spoke of the End Times while on earth, He said He didn't know the date. Only the Father in Heaven knew the day and the hour. (reference: Matthew 24) Amazing how many people claim to know more about this than Jesus!
Back to Y2K, 2000 years after Jesus ...
For others, Y2K meant the Millennium Bug (which could have meant the end of the world). Our computers, which we have become so dependent upon for everything it seems, were not ready to handle the roll over from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000. [reference: Y2K bug from Encyclopaedia Britannica]
This clip, a parody on the cartoon Godzilla, expresses the concern, humorously.
Time marched on. And there were glitches as the calendar rolled from 1999 to 2000. But we survived. Since we are still here, the end of the world didn't happen ... yet. :)
Mini-Y2K, the Leap second - midnight, June 30, 2015
To adjust our standardized clocks, a second will be added to our year. An extra second should be no biggie. Again, it's the old we-are-so-dependent-upon-computers thing. This extra second could really screw us up: Leap second on June 30 will be 'mini-Y2K'
The dreaded leap second, coming this June 30, is explained here:
But this has happened 25 times since 1972 and the last time was 2012, which caused computer problems. Yet, we survived the 2012 leap second and the Mayan calendar scare. It wasn't the End of World ... yet ;)
See you on July 1 ... Lord willing ...
Timing is everything in this world of hi-tech, which is just another one of the ....
