tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72186186175756475642024-02-06T21:13:16.452-05:00The Space BetweenA lot of things happen throughout our busy lives. Sometimes the best thoughts come in those few fleeting moments between all the activities and conscious thoughts. I call it 'The Space Between'.John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-71428199605080420612021-09-01T17:20:00.003-04:002021-09-01T17:20:43.621-04:00Star House<p><span> </span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“It
doesn’t exist, kid,” yelled Hawk, “Now activate your cocoon!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Comet
touched the forearm-panel of her mega-suit. The dark face shield sealed her
from the world. The last thing she saw would haunt her for the rest of her
life, Lorin punching her panel frantically.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> <i>Please, please, please let Lorin be
okay, </i>she thought while hearing the hard drops of liquid pelt her suit. Ringing
ears listened to the echoes inside her cocoon as loud as bullets on the metal
exterior. <i>Bullets would do less damage</i>. How she hated this part, if only
they could travel at night, they wouldn’t have to deal with the toxic rains.<i>
<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In full protection
mode, the mega-suit conserved energy, letting the special tyleum-coated metal
protect its inhabitant. This seclusion took away the ability for teammates to radio
each other, which drove Comet crazy. <i>How am I supposed to know if Hawk and Lorin
are okay?</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Several hours after the last drop
hit her suit, Comet came out of the cocoon. Adjusting to the late afternoon
light, her eyes saw Hawk kneeling next to a lump of metal that used to be a
mega-suit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Lorin!” she shouted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Hawk
shook his head, “Sorry, kid, the suit malfunctioned.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Comet
leapt to where she last saw Lorin. A half-melted, empty mega-suit lay like a
mound of flesh, its gaping holes mocked her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Hawk
stood up in the unofficial ceremony, looking away from the scene. He had no
interest in grabbing any of Lorin’s possessions. Comet reached into the shell
of a suit, knowing all too well that she wouldn’t touch Lorin. The toxic rain dissolved all organic material
while leaving everything else behind. The
enemy designed it that way to strike terror into the humans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Unlike
Hawk, Comet wanted to gather something that would remind her of Lorin. Her fingers,
probing into the ruined suite’s gaping holes, touched something. She held it
high as it dangled from a thin gold chain. A simple heart-shaped locket
reflected the evening sun. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“This
hung around her neck just a few hours ago,” said Comet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Yea,
kid, makes you realize how reliant we are on these suits. I’m gonna personally
rip someone’s heads off when we get to Avalon over this one. Let’s get moving,”
replied Hawk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The
two companions walked through a maze of decaying steel beams and broken asphalt
streets that used to form one of the biggest cities before the enemy came. Hawk
led them, dodging back and forth picking the safest path. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Isn’t
Avalon south?” questioned Comet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Yep,
we’re takin’ a detour,” replied Hawk. “I know someone who can help us, both our
suits are damaged. We’ll make it through the night, but when the morning rains
come again neither of us will survive.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“The
only place in that direction is Star House, where he lives. He’s one of them.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“We
don’t know that. Razor said he’s a traitor to his kind and he’ll help humans,”
said Hawk in a desperate tone. “You know we won’t make it to Avalon without his
help.’ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“That’s
bullshit, Hawk! He helps no one but himself. Besides, Razor is dead, probably
killed by that psycho.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“We’re
going, period.” Hawk hoped he’d put an end to that conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As
much as Comet hated to admit it, Hawk’s intuition kept them alive more than once.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Lorin,
what should I do? </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Comet put the heart shaped locket around
her neck, then put her helmet back on. “Well, if we are going to see him, we’d
better bring it all.”1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Hawk
nodded and headed toward Star House, continuing to pick the safest route
through the shredded steel beams that surrounded them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rays
from the dim sun touched the edge of the city as they reached its border. As
they rested, eating the last of their food, Comet tried to make conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“You
think he’ll know about the gateway?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Your
black bangs are creepin’ in your ears and damaging your brain, kid. I’m telling
ya, it doesn’t exist.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Lorin
talked about it all the time. She believed in the gateway. Of the three of us
she had the most brains.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">They
spoke no more. Although the mega-suits partially helped them walk, traveling in
them made their muscles ache. Hiking out of the city and through the woods
changed the landscape from the twisted metal and building rubble to charred
trees. The hills still existed but the enemy destroyed most vegetation. The lack
of trees made the air heavy and hard to breath. As much as she hated the
cocoons, at least they provided fresh air with one of the few systems that continued
to run. Leaving the city far behind, the rolling hills became their only
constant. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Look,”
said Comet as she pointed to a bright beam on the horizon that streaked into
the sky and beyond. It could be seen in the dark night for miles around. “What
is it?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Star
House,” replied Hawk. “Getting’ closer.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Are
you kidding me, you dumb oaf!” she shouted.
“He is communicating with them, this proves it. I refuse to go there. If
you were smart, you’d turn around and come with me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“You
can go, kid, but you won’t make it far,” Hawk turned and pointed to the pale
light of the sun coming up from their east.
“Morning sun means the first rain of the day. Star House is our only chance.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Damn
you Hawk! We’re dead either way. If we somehow live through this, I’m going to
kill you.” Comet stomped off toward the large beam as Hawk shook his head.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Star
House appeared after they struggled over a few more hills. By time the
brilliant white light that radiated from the walls of the house could be seen,
the beam that streaked toward the sky had stopped. The two soldiers approached
the massive structure, mouths gaping. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“This
damn place is bigger than the entire city we just left,” Comet said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Yea,
I hear he is big, so its fitting he lives in a big place,” laughed Hawk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Still
some ways off, the familiar sound of thunder came. They broke into a run toward
Star House as the rains drenching the hills behind them. The winds rolled up and
bit their backs. The mist from the toxic rains caught up wafting around them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Cocoon?”
Comet shouted in a question. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Before
Hawk could answer a whirring sound from above made both adventurers tumble. The
mists and winds cleared away from the hovering saucer. The powerful push from
above pinned them. From the ship came another beam, similar to the one they saw
coming from Star House, but this one pointed at them, not the sky. The warm
light moved over the soldiers. They sensed their bodies being lifted. Traveling
through the beam, vibrations surrounded the pair. Every cell in their bodies
moved as if each had its own life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Comet
attempted to twist and see if she could touch Hawk but instead the vibrations
from around her threatened to rip her cells apart if she didn’t cooperate.
Complying, she laid back giving into the beam as it lifted her into the craft. A
pulsing became so strong that Comet fell into unconsciousness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Deafening silence woke her. Comet
sensed Hawk close by, both in a large room. Her dry mouth croaked through the
silence as she attempted to call his name. Hawk ran through the massive room to
her side. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You okay, kid?” He gave her some
water from a small pouch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’ll live. Are we in Star House?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “What gives that away, the thirty-foot
ceilings or the fact that the room is so wide we can’t see the walls?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, is this place that big to you?”
asked a soft androgenous voice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Searching
the massive fog-filled room for the source, the two adventurers saw him
approaching from a distance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I must apologize for the,” he
paused “uncomfortable ride to my abode but those rains the brutes created were
about to overwhelm you. I had to do something desperate and the drones and
their beams were the only way I could think to get you to safety.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Hawk and Comet looked at the large
humanoid in front of them. From his fifteen-foot-tall slender frame sprouted
four appendages that seemed like human arms and legs, but his arms hung much
lower than a human’s. The fingers almost touched the ground. A bald, narrow
head with large, black, lifeless eyes stared at them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Comet heard herself blurt out, “Does
the gateway exist or not?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Ah, the primitive knowledge you possess
is quite becoming. This gateway, as you children of dust call it, exists. My
race is searching for it, that search is what brought us to your planet. The
gateway is an entrance to wormholes. With command of the gateway, my race could
travel to any time and space we want. You see, our leaders want to conquer the
entire universe. As much as I disagree with their ethics, I certainly love
their knowledge and drive.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “How do I get to the gateway?”
questioned Comet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You are dealing with stuff we don’t
understand, kid,” said Hawk. “Let it go, let’s just get to Avalon.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No, Hawk, she has a valid question.
It’s closer than you think. Wouldn’t you want to get out of this hell that was
once your paradise?” the alien questioned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “There is no way I’m trusting you.
We made a mistake coming here. You can let us go,” replied Hawk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No, actually we need you and your
race. Your unique essence can provide us what we need in our search for the
gateway and eventually the wormholes. Of course, your kind are destroyed in the
process. A necessary consequence.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You aren’t a trader to your kind
then. You collect humans and experiment with the wormhole. Is that it?” asked
Hawk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You are smarter than the average
child of dust. Smarter than Razor ever was,” said the grey as he stepped
forward, reaching out to Hawk and Comet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Hawk jumped into action tapping his
forearm-panel. In response a large gatling gun popped from his shoulder, firing
at the tall enemy. A small movement from
the grey and several drones appeared, two creating a shield that protected the
grey and three that sprayed Hawk and Comet with a mist that dissolved their
suites.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Accept your role in life. You are inferiors
put here to help us. You are stripped of all your defenses and weapons,” calmly
stated the grey as he stepped toward them again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Just then a hot sensation burned
through Comet as her hand instinctively went to Lorin’s locket, still hanging
around her neck. The grey noticed and for the first time he showed emotion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “That’s it!” he exclaimed as he
quickly covered the ground between them, reaching for Comet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Like Lorin’s death, the next thing
she saw would also haunt her for the rest of her life. Hawk jumped between the
two and blocked the giant from his attack on Comet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Open it kid!” he screamed. “The
locket!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> As her thumb popped the heart-shaped
locket. The room trembled. A quiet hum grew to a loud roar that matched the
vibration. A bright white light engulfed the room and blinded her. Both Hawk
and the grey fell to the ground. In what seemed like a quick moment, the light
dimmed as the sound dissipated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> The crisp air washed over her body as if to cleanse her,
as the rays of the sun gently danced on her exposed skin. Comet wiped her long
black bangs away from her eyes as she looked around confused, surrounded by
trees and people who stared back at the woman who was not there a moment ago. <o:p></o:p></span></p>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-88791605723839344372015-07-22T15:57:00.000-04:002015-07-22T16:15:06.159-04:00Farmers Markets in Cleveland<div class="MsoNormal">
Cleveland is a great city, period…. There
is so much to do and experience here. In
addition to the world class events that it puts on, Cleveland has a vibrant and
real food scene. We have so many great
restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries. Food runs from local celebrity chefs to,
outstanding international restaurants and food trucks galore. But what about vegetables and fruits? Who out there doesn’t like fresh fruits and
vegetables? Did I say like? I’m talking love, obsession and
addiction. Those heritage tomatoes that
are so fresh you can smell them five feet away are an example of what I’m
talking about. Peppers that are bursting
with flavor and heat. Cantaloupes and
other melons that taste like candy they are so luscious!! We are in the midst of one of the best times
of year for foodies, health conscious people or just people looking for some
great tasting food. In Cleveland that is
between July and September. You know
why? This is the time that all the local
farmers start reaping their bounty.
There are dozens of Farmer’s Markets and Fresh Produce stands that pop
up in Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs during these months. It doesn’t matter if you live downtown or in
any suburb, you will be able to find them everywhere. There are over seventy five in Cleveland and
the surrounding area alone. I’ve been to
many of them and one thing I notice, besides the incredible produce, is that
the farmers and people that are selling at these stands are so friendly.<br />
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Below is a list of a few farmer’s markets and food stands in
the area, however, if you do an online search for <i>Farmer’s Markets in Cleveland</i>, you will realize how big this scene
is. How do you pick your favorite
one? Is it location, personality,
bounty? We’ll I’ll tell you about my
favorite one. It’s a roadside market on Sprague
Road in Strongsville called <i>My Garden</i>. It is run by Penny and David who have been
growing and picking vegetables and fruits for fourteen years. They are so friendly that every time my wife
shows up to buy our weekly load of fruits and veggies she also gets hugs. You have to check them out. See the pictures below to get an idea of what
many people experience every day at their market. Because we are such huge fans of Penny and
David, we asked them to give us a little story about how they got the idea to
start <i>My Garden.</i><o:p></o:p><br />
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Like many people who have home gardens David and Penny
decided to plant some tomato plants one summer, twelve to be exact. What they quickly found out was that twelve
tomato plants were more tomatoes than they needed, more than they could eat,
freeze or give away. What to do with all
these extra tomatoes? See the answer in
their wonderful story below, told from Penny’s point of view. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>David decided after he retired that we should start a little
garden, so we planted twelve tomato plants only to discover there were far more
tomatoes then we could ever eat, freeze, or give away. We put the picnic table
down in front ,right where the wagon sits today, filled some baskets with
tomatoes, added a Maxwell house coffee can with a sign telling folks to take
what they want and leave whatever they would like in the can. I was personally
getting quite a kick out checking the can and watching the tomatoes flying off
the table. One day we came home to find a note in the can with a rock on top of
it. Some kind person said they were worried the can would fall over and the
money would fall out so they placed a rock on top. </i></blockquote>
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<i>Well from that year on, David
decided to take up a notch by growing a little bit of everything. However the
picnic table would never do for that many veggies. So he found this old wagon
frame from an old timer, brought it home and began to build a wagon. Our first
wagon was less than half the size it is today. As the gardens grew so did the
wagon. It has been taken down to the frame a total of three times, each time
David extends the frame out to accommodate the bigger size. I think it has now
reached its max. We had the awning made for it and it does make a nice
appearance for our customers. </i></blockquote>
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<i>We have just finished our fourteenth year and we
are still amazed that the good folks still look forward to seeing that old farm
wagon every year! It has been a very rewarding experience, we have met people
from all walks of life and all ages. We know so many of them on a first name
basis and see them year after year. I guess to sum this all up, it makes it all
work worthwhile when someone says how much they appreciate our effort to give
good veggies and how much they look forward to seeing that wagon every year! We
have just the best customers anywhere, well yes, and a few stinkers but the
good far, far outweigh the few! There are a precious few that have touched my
heart and I will never forget them. We do realize that all good things will
come to an end, David is now seventy - five and I'm ......well I'm not too far
behind. We will take it one year at a time. I think we still have another year
or two left in us, the Good Lord willing, will see you next year!</i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWAZN-LX_PnetRtK5lYYnWwbSLaXrwWCbau4uQ5nVZZzqZQ6Ao5leF6noRnA9KWvOP3_lIHtQbs2K3AeRtIjZoDVcOaPRBauMgan4C1RsAEp5STujSoWBNQJfQS0Q_NsBGVtoBM-L58GS/s1600/mygardenfarm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWAZN-LX_PnetRtK5lYYnWwbSLaXrwWCbau4uQ5nVZZzqZQ6Ao5leF6noRnA9KWvOP3_lIHtQbs2K3AeRtIjZoDVcOaPRBauMgan4C1RsAEp5STujSoWBNQJfQS0Q_NsBGVtoBM-L58GS/s320/mygardenfarm.jpg" width="320" /></a>This story was given at the end of last year. Here we are back in July and ready for more fresh fruits and veggies. Timing couldn't be better!! As you can see David and Penny love what they do and have made many
friends from their veggie stand.<br />
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Besides <i>My Garden</i>
on Sprague Road in Strongsville, here is a list a few others in all areas of Cleveland. We can’t possibly list them all so leave a
comment and tell us about your favorite Farmer’s Market, you know which one
mine is!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Strongsville Farmers Market</b><span style="color: #2f3a43; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode",sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Strongsville Town Commons</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pearl & Royalton Rd.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thursdays 2pm-6pm</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">August 7 - October 2</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(440) 580-3276</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Willie's Farm Market</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">7136 Pearl Road</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Middleburg Heights</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Daily 10am-6pm</span><br />
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<b>Crocker Park Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">North Union Farmers Market</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Westlake</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional details</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://northunionfamersmarket.org/">northunionfamersmarket.org</a></span></div>
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<b>Oberlin Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">85 S. Main St., </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Oberlin, Oh</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional details</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://oberlinfarmersmarket.com/">oberlinfarmersmarket.com</a></span><br />
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<b>Tremont Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lincoln Park</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">West 14th St. Between Kenilworth and Starkweather</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cleveland</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional details</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://tremontfarmersmarket.com/">tremontfarmersmarket.com</a></span></div>
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<b>North Coast Harbor Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Across from the Old Stone Church</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cleveland</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional details</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://ohiofarmfresh.com/index.php">ohiofarmfresh.com/index.php</a></span><br />
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<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 233.75pt;" valign="top" width="312"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cleveland State Farmers Market</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">1930 Euclid Ave Cleveland<br />See website for additional Details<br /><a href="http://northunionfarmersmarket.org/">northunionfarmersmarket.org</a></span></td>
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<b>Broadway Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dan Kane Gardens</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional Details</span><br />
<a href="http://slavicvillage.org/farmersmarket"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">slavicvillage.org/farmersmarket</span></a><br />
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<b>Shaker Square Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">13209 Shaker Square</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shaker Heights</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional Details</span><br />
<a href="http://northunionfarmersmarket.org/" style="font-size: small;">northunionfarmersmarket.org</a><br />
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<b>Chargrin Falls Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">North Main Street & North Franklin St</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Chagrin Falls</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional Details</span><br />
<a href="http://www.northunionfarmersmarket.org/" style="font-size: small;">northunionfarmersmarket.org</a><br />
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<b>First Baptist Church Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3630 Fairmount Blvd</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shaker Heights</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional Details</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://wix.com/sall02/fbc-farmers-market#!about">wix.com/sall02/fbc-farmers-market#!about</a></span></div>
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<b>Geauga Fresh Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5205 Chillicothe Rd</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">South Russell</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">See website for additional Details</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.geaugafarmersmarket.com/">geaugafarmersmarket.com</a></span><br />
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<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 233.75pt;" valign="top" width="312"><b>Coventry Market</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">1824 Coventry Road<br />Cleveland Heights<br />Thursdays 6-9</span></td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 233.75pt;" valign="top" width="312"><b>Coit Road Farmers Market</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">15000 Woodworth Ave<br />Cleveland <br />See website for additional details<br /><a href="http://coitmarket.org/">coitmarket.org</a></span><br />
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John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-6670603008541416952011-03-27T21:31:00.001-04:002011-03-28T22:12:03.180-04:00Human NatureA few weeks ago I was over at a friend's house with a group of guys I've known for over twenty years. The night went in two phases. The first part of the night was filled with joking, reminiscing and making fun of each other. Pretty standard stuff for people that have known each other for twenty plus years. The second part of the night was a bit different than usual. We had some very serious discussions about Human Nature and what it was. It's not like we said, 'hey, what is human nature?' but everything we started talking about came back to human nature. These are conversations I never would have had when I met these guys in high school. We weren't capable of such in depth conversations. After all we didn't have the life lessons that have been taught to us over the last twenty (pushing twenty five now). So, what is human nature and is it the link that binds us historically to our ancestors more than anything else?<br />
<br />
According to dictionary.com Human Nature is:<br />
<div class="dndata"><blockquote><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">psychological</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">social</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">qualities</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">that</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">characterize</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">humankind,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">especially</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">contrast</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">with</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">other</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">living</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">things.</span></span></blockquote><br />
<span id="hotword">What does that mean? My take on it is this, it's basically what makes us, as humans, unique from anything else on this planet. A lot of it is how we react with the knowledge we know. George Santayana's famous (often misquoted) saying "Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." is very thought provoking. I'd like to take it one step further. Even if we know history and the past, we see the mistakes and blunders of others, we often repeat them. Why? Not because we are stupid, if we were stupid we would have been extinct long ago. But because we have human nature. We make many choices based on our emotions. Even if that does not make sense. Why do you think it is said that hind sight is 20/20? Because, looking back on situations in retrospect is usually done with less emotion and more of an analytical mind. I feel our strong sense of emotions are one of the things that make us human. So maybe the mistakes we make aren't really mistakes, they are just us doing what we do as human race. </span><br />
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Tell me what you think? Do you like to hear that your mistakes are part of who you are? It also means your successes are part of who you are. Have a great week and I'll hopefully post more later this week.<br />
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</div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-21318525209694416802011-03-20T20:00:00.009-04:002011-03-20T20:51:46.350-04:00The brown grass is turning greener!! (AKA: Brown Grass part II)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5pUF8tllJW6TaOXEaB3mDyAa1Sd553NybKrS2c7VhVuMr3EHYuSCYRXCUHWnX2PRbEYm3zRi5s90oaZP1TrqD9EmpTusoWdOfX2BWkEua268nd_kpaoIep7PXJ8S4HSKuq-tAJBBi1-0/s1600/partnership.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5pUF8tllJW6TaOXEaB3mDyAa1Sd553NybKrS2c7VhVuMr3EHYuSCYRXCUHWnX2PRbEYm3zRi5s90oaZP1TrqD9EmpTusoWdOfX2BWkEua268nd_kpaoIep7PXJ8S4HSKuq-tAJBBi1-0/s200/partnership.GIF" width="200" /></a></div><i>First off, congratulations to the Gathering Place for an incredibly fun and successful fundraiser at Crocker Park last week. Dana and I had a great time working and playing there. Once I find a link to some pictures I’ll post them so everyone locally can see what a great time it was and make a point to come out next year, if you couldn’t make it this year!! Updated Sunday 8:50pm... Here is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSB281mwJPY">link</a>.</i><br />
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One of the deals you make with your doctors, after surviving cancer, is that you have to go back and see them periodically. How often depends on a number of factors, what type of cancer and how long you’ve been finished with treatments are two determinants. In my case I’ve been going back every three months since I’ve finished my treatments. I’ll do that for two years. After that I can cut down my follow up visits once every five to six months for a year or two. Then after that I’ll go see them once a year. This is all assuming there are no signs of cancer, which is what my doctors and I fully expect to find (or better said “not” find). <br />
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For my first few follow up visits it was always a relief to go see them. I couldn’t wait for the next three months to go by. I wanted and needed the reassurance that the once thing that threw my life into a tailspin was not coming back. I craved those visits, wanted to hear the words from the doctors that everything was still fine and I’m doing great. I heard it every time. I didn’t care that those words sometimes needed to be accompanied by more tests, more needles, more lying still on a table for full body scans. I didn’t care that I have to endure my all-time least favorite activity, “the nose scope”. I craved those words like an addict craves his substance. <br />
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But now I’m fifteen months out. The visits are getting routine. I still enjoy going and love to hear those words that everything is OK. But I don’t crave them with the same intensity. Right after treatment you are like a newborn, who doesn’t understand what the future holds. But, like a growing child, you gain more confidence in the results after every visit. Going on my routine visit now is more like going to visit an old friend. Even if I’ve only known these doctors for a couple years our circumstances for meeting and our connections thereafter were all very intense. You can bond to them quickly. Now that they are more in a monitoring phase, you kind of talk to them a bit differently and see them in a slightly different light. I’m completely amazed at how brilliant they are at what they do. Before cancer I knew that it went on. Modern Doctors have always worked tirelessly to save people’s lives from cancer. During cancer you don’t think about it, you are in a partnership with them to get you through to tomorrow. It’s not until after cancer, when the dust settles that the impact of what they do on a daily bases sinks in. What a great feeling!!<br />
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I had one of these follow-up visits last Friday. I am, once again, glad to hear that things are looking great for me. I am still cancer free. I am also glad to see my “old friends” again. If for no other reason, just to appreciate what they do.<br />
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Does anyone have any comments on visiting doctors for any type of follow-up visits? What if you don’t get along with your doctors, or disagree with them?John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-88337517883789706772011-03-10T21:25:00.004-05:002011-03-10T21:35:31.926-05:00Congratulations Discovery, you finished off strong.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Before I talk about the Space Shuttle Discovery I have a quick announcement. If anyone reading this is in the Cleveland Area there is a great event going on this Saturday March 12th at Crocker Park. It's a fundraiser that benefits the Gathering Place. The Gathering Place's mission is to support, educate and empower individuals and families touched by cancer through programs and services provided free of charge. My family and I used their services a lot during my fight with cancer. </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><i>Click <a href="http://www.touchedbycancer.org/crockercooks.asp" target="_blank">here</a> for details. I hope to see you there. Now, back to the Space Shuttle Discovery.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Space shuttle Discovery completed the orbiter's final mission this week. It landed at the Kennedy Space Center this week for the final time. Check out it's final landing here.<br />
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There are only two space shuttle flights left until NASA closes it's doors on a program that started thirty years ago on April 12, 1981. The two remaining flights will launch soon. Endeavour will fly it's last flight on April 19th and will be commanded by Mark Kelly, the husband of Gabrielle Gifford, the congress woman who was shot in Arizona earlier this year. The final shuttle mission will be flown by the space shuttle Atlantis on June 28. This </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">final flight from the Atlantis will be the 135th time a space shuttle has flown a mission.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">According to <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">NASA's website</a> Discovery is named for two famous sailing ships; one sailed by Henry Hudson in 1610-11 to search for a northwest passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the other by James Cook on a voyage during which he discovered the Hawaiian Islands.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few highlights from this incredible piece of machinery.</span></span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">It's flown into space more than any other space vehicle.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">Took the Hubble Telescope into space.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">Launched countless satellites into space.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">Ferried people and modules to and from the International Space Station.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">Over 350 days in orbit.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">Circled Earth over 5600 times.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">Traveled over 143 million miles (That's to the Sun and 1/2 way back)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">The first space shuttle to visit the Russian Space Station Mir.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">One of the most important statistics in my mind is the role Discovery had in bringing people back into space after both the Challenger and the Columbia disasters. It was the first shuttle to fly after each of these disasters, restoring America's pride and faith in the space program. It reminded us and the world of the resolve the people of the United States have. It was a symbol for determination and persistence and reminded us all that we must rise from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">the ashes of tragedies like these and keep moving forward. If not, then the deaths of those astronauts would have been in vain.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">The space shuttle program has always been an incredible source of pride for me, as I was too young to experience first-hand the rocket programs and moon landings so many decades before the first space shuttle ever lifted off. I've grown up with the space shuttles and now that they are about to retire it gives me the same feeling I get when other great events in life are coming to an end. Sadness that they are going yet excitement to see what their children and grandchildren will be like. Congratulations and Farewell Discovery, you've had a great career and I enjoyed watching you over the last 30 years.</span></div><br />
What are your thoughts of the Space Shuttle Discovery? Is it something you enjoy or something you just don't care about? Leave a comment or take the poll on the left side of this posting. It's open until March 17th.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">If you have time check out this video from NASA that is a great history of the Space Shuttle Discovery.</span><br />
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</script>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-63514307804151760912011-03-06T20:30:00.003-05:002011-03-07T08:08:52.598-05:00A Cancer Survivor's View - The grass is always browner on the other side<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zBu9QqCJ6DAmyuBqBo6lNsfWxSvfJFVXrXu69gGw6JkCugbuLGfN3GJqAfz6S-etXdYuW1mYW8I2decLOfTUfkKq8JgL77S7UDME84texs5jQt92SfWpN4d-IGmu9q8bI6SOyjvj6KsB/s1600/BrownGrass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zBu9QqCJ6DAmyuBqBo6lNsfWxSvfJFVXrXu69gGw6JkCugbuLGfN3GJqAfz6S-etXdYuW1mYW8I2decLOfTUfkKq8JgL77S7UDME84texs5jQt92SfWpN4d-IGmu9q8bI6SOyjvj6KsB/s200/BrownGrass.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow!! That's some brown grass.<br />
I'm glad mine isn't that brown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When I was going through chemotherapy and radiation, I often had to look internally for a pick up. I had plenty of external support, probably more than, or at least as much as, most. My wife and kids, my family, friends even my Doctor's throughout the whole process were telling me things were going great. Sometimes, you just feel alone. It's no ones fault. That is just the way it is. You tell me they are going great but I can't hear, taste, sleep, swallow, keep weight on or much more. This vicious cycle has the potential to whittle away some of the positive attitude you brought in to the process with you. How much more can a body take? I found out that the body can take much more than mine went through, if it had too. As long as the mind enforces the fact that that this whole experience is temporary. If it's six months or five years, there will be some times better than others and it will end. This was especially true for me. I was told, even before I started any treatments, that there would be a definite start and end to it. There was a chance we would have to go further with more treatments but odds were it would be finished. So what did I do to get me through, once my mind started getting taxed and frustrated? I looked at the brown grass.<br />
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Sounds odd and even now thinking about it, it sounds very selfish. But there is a point where you have to stop putting energy into pretending you are doing fine so everyone else is comfortable and just focus internally on what you have to do to get better. Let me explain what I mean by "brown grass". We all know the saying, the grass is always "greener" on the other side. It implies that when you are having hard times, you look around you and see that other people are seemingly doing so much better than you. That really seems to just get you down further, I never really understood that. Here is how my "brown grass" theory works.<br />
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My radiation treatments were always at the same time. Every day at 10:00 am. As you can imagine many people have the same times for there appointments. Maybe 9:45 or 10:15 but you start noticing the same people hanging out in the waiting room. Over time, you make eye contact and smile, maybe strike up a conversation. It's not too hard to strike up conversation, you know right off the bat that you have something in common. One day, my wife and I were talking to Bill and his wife. Bill had cancer in his neck too. He was quite a few years older than I was and about three weeks ahead of me in treatments. That means he had around fifteen more radiation treatments than I did at the time. I was always amazed at how well Bill was doing. He walked in every day, smiled at everyone and would strike up conversations. He really seemed to be doing well. Bill and I were talking about how things were changing physically for each of us. I had a hard time hearing him because the chemo and radiation were doing a number on my hearing at that time. I flat out told him, "Bill, you look like your doing great, but I can't really hear what you are saying." In response Bill said, very loudly, "Oh, that's OK that you can't hear me because I can't see you OR hear you." When we realized we were both having similar issues, it struck us as funny and started laughing hysterically. <br />
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There was another guy I met, who was younger than Bill, probably just a few years older than me. He was having a rough time because he always considered himself a 'Bull' in life. He was a real tough guy. But the cancer treatments were really taking him down a notch. The bull wasn't as tough as he initially thought. None of us were. But we were all getting through it.<br />
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Another friend, similar troubles and another and another. But we were all getting through it somehow. I realized, as bad as I felt other people were feeling just as bad (or worse) and they were getting through it, so I could too. "The grass is always browner on the other side," was born. I may have been struggling through the experience, but to see Bill, the "Bull" and others struggling helped me realize I wasn't alone in my experience. My hope is that by them seeing me struggle they could gain some strength from me as well. I didn't care if they perceived me as doing 'worse' than they were. In my perspective their brown grass helped me, but my brown grass was helping them too.<br />
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Over time we all lost touch with each other but I often think of them and how their lives are progressing. I only hope they are doing as well as I am. It's time for the brown grass to turn green and give inspiration to others in that way.<br />
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Have you dealt with getting through cancer treatments or any rough spots in your life? How did you get through it, did you look to others with a similar situation and draw strength from them?John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-85118937472816296122011-03-03T20:30:00.001-05:002011-03-03T20:30:00.249-05:00Cardiac Sarcoma<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9NKJy7km1yKC9_sRq3K0zXV_gtgbwIO37vozMiMZ47N-G6eq4jfMGeakg5wu558-vSRSmm8oVitXCNt8Jl2V1Irh8cNrsNr9MvaHpOhcwCCOW5ITNkLstIUmAoR65_P6VTblQFbdwX5Q/s1600/heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9NKJy7km1yKC9_sRq3K0zXV_gtgbwIO37vozMiMZ47N-G6eq4jfMGeakg5wu558-vSRSmm8oVitXCNt8Jl2V1Irh8cNrsNr9MvaHpOhcwCCOW5ITNkLstIUmAoR65_P6VTblQFbdwX5Q/s200/heart.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hearts are STRONG!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today’s post is to bring attention to a type of cancer that does not hit a lot of people. I can relate to this. I can’t tell you how many people said to me ‘tonsil cancer, I’ve never heard of it’ when I was fighting cancer. Actually I’ve never heard of tonsil cancer before it hit me. However, when you are going through it, you get an intimate understanding of what it is and want everyone else to know that too. This cancer I’m writing about today is called Cardiac Sarcoma. It affects barely ten thousand people in the USA per year. I’d be curious to find the world wide numbers. Today’s posting is inspired by a friend of Dana’s (my wife) from high school. His name is Joe and he was diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoma and is currently battling it. Take a moment and say a prayer, send positive thoughts or do whatever you can to help out Joe. I had a lot of prayers said for me during my battle with tonsil cancer and I’m sure that is one of the main reasons I got through it.<br />
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I’ve been researching Cardiac Sarcoma to find out more about it and this is what I came up with. This post is by no means a medical document and should not be read that way.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">What is it?</span></b> Cardiac Sarcoma is basically a tumor that grows on the heart. This is a malignant tumor so you can image how important and urgent treatment is, once diagnosed. According to many sources, including <a href="http://yalemedicalgroup.org/">yalemedicalgroup.org</a> the actual definition is:<br />
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<i>Cardiac sarcoma is a type of tumor that occurs in the heart. Cardiac sarcoma is a primary malignant (cancerous) tumor. Tumors are considered to be either primary tumors or secondary tumors. A primary tumor is the original site of tumor growth. A secondary tumor originates from another tumor elsewhere in the body</i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">From what I read if the tumor started it the heart it is most likely cancer. However there are some sarcomas that start in other soft tissues of the body, usually those are not malignant. Even if they eventually travel to the heart. The type that starts elsewhere is considered a secondary tumor once in the heart.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">What are the symptoms?</span></b> Well this is always tricky, but depending on where the tumor is located by (or in) the heart you can have the following (and more):</span></span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Coughing Up Blood</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Fever</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Unexplained Weight Loss</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Chest Pain</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Shortness of Breath</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Always Tired</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Irregular Heartbeats</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Trouble Breathing</span></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">What is the Treatment?</span></b> Treatment seems to be the same treatment used for a lot of cancers including Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy. The one treatment that is different is getting a heart transplant. Treatments depend on a number of factors including how advanced the cancer is, your age, expectations of the disease and your opinion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Finishing Up: </span></b> Cancer sucks, plain and simple. Heart issues suck. When the two are put together ist seems like a terrifying combination. However, the human spirit can overcome a lot. Hang in there Joe and family. You can take this cancer down.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Does anyone else know about Cardiac Sarcoma? If so, tell me something I didn’t find by doing some research. </span></span></div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-35777152126972250172011-02-24T21:54:00.000-05:002011-02-24T21:54:44.001-05:00My rants on the Oscars 2011<em><strong>Please be warned: this is a complete rant. If you want to read something serious about movies, you are in the wrong place. </strong></em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2ID1CaoBpSbmEuVA1NA62rx2-OcqDcXW6MIH-gMJqEqThoGeL1SRyaIAyPlX9hlYgyRUDAPmdlnZs1oEmobt6ABzL4_D2N3OPidSh8s-zTFuhy69oyUKjvVvRqdvCVLgJqrB3Frpf2Ig/s1600/Oscar-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2ID1CaoBpSbmEuVA1NA62rx2-OcqDcXW6MIH-gMJqEqThoGeL1SRyaIAyPlX9hlYgyRUDAPmdlnZs1oEmobt6ABzL4_D2N3OPidSh8s-zTFuhy69oyUKjvVvRqdvCVLgJqrB3Frpf2Ig/s200/Oscar-award.jpg" width="110" /></a></div>What do <em>Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit</em> and <em>Winter's Bones</em> have in common? If you said they are all nominated to win an Academy Award this year you are correct, good job. That was an easy one, even I could get that one. I have another question for you, if you took that same list of movies and took away <em>Toy Story 3</em>, what do those movies have in common? Any guesses, come on..... Answer: I haven't seen any of them. Guess what? I'm still llooking forward to the Oscars on Sunday night. I'll probably watch most of the show and then either fall asleep on the couch or just throw in my towel and go to bed. Even if I fall asleep or go to bed, I'll still know who won Best Movie, Best Director and Best Actor/Actress before morning. I'll know because I have a wonderful wife, every man's dream. Guess what she'll do after the Oscars are over with? She'll crawl into bed and ever so seductively whisper in my ear who won. Then we'll both crash so get your minds out of the gutter!! <br />
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Even though I haven't seen those movies doesn't mean I won't. At this period in our lives Dana and I are about one year or so behind seeing movies. We'll catch a few in the theaters, but mostly we catch them after they are released to on-demand or DVD/Blue Ray. I'm trying to think what the last movie she and I saw in the Theater's together was.... I'm seriously thinking here, um................................................................................thinking.........................................................................................<br />
.....thinking....................................... I give up. OH Wait I know this one it was called DAMN it just slipped my mind, it was the one with Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, I just opened up another tab in my browser and am going to look it up on IMDB.com. I can't believe I don't remember the name. EAT PRAY LOVE!!! Yea I remember. Sorry to let you down guys (people of the male persuasion that are reading this) , I know it was a chick flick, but you know what it was a nice date movie to watch with my wonderful wife. Besides that, she now thinks she owes me one. Of course she doesn't but I'm not going to throw away a free opportunity to watch some gratuitously violent, crazy man show. Anyway, I actually liked Eat Pray Love it was an enjoyable movie. I certainly digress.<br />
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Even though we don't see many movies in the theater's it's still nice to take some time out from reality and enjoy a good Oscars show. Anne Hathaway and James Franco are a couple of cool kids, they could be great hosts. Even if they flop, they are both nicer to look at than the Golden Globe host Ricky Gervais. Although he had the humor thing going for him at the Golden Globes (most of the time).<br />
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This is really funny, I don't actually have a point to this posting, except to generally say that even though I don't see a lot of movies until they've left the big screen, I do enjoy them. They are a better escape than drugs and alcohol, that's for sure. One last point before I close up, I did see Tangled on the big screen.<br />
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With all the issues in the world right now, protests and riots in Libya, Bahrain, Tunisia, Egypt and all the protests (and soon to be riots) in the US about collective bargaining for the Unions, if you are one of the people fortunate enough to have the night off from protests, rioting, worrying about gas prices, wars, finances, hunger, sickness, cancer or anything else go ahead and watch the Academy Awards. Of course that basically excludes us all. We all have something or someone in today's crazy world that is affected by something serious. So if you are a movie buff, or just in the need of a couple hour escape, go ahead and do it. Enjoy them... I will.<br />
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OK People Let's get your comments flowing. Give me your votes on who is going to win the Big 4 - Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.<br />
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<span style="color: white;"></span><strong><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"> BEST MOVIE</span></strong><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: black;">Black Swan</span></li>
<li>The Fighter</li>
<li>Inception</li>
<li>The Kids are All Right</li>
<li>The King's Speech</li>
<li>127 Hours</li>
<li>The Social Network</li>
<li>Toy Story 3</li>
<li>True Grit</li>
<li>Winter's Bone</li>
</ul><strong><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Best Director</span></strong><br />
<ul><li>Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan</li>
<li>David O. Russell - The Fighter</li>
<li>Tom Hooper - The King's Speech</li>
<li>David Finchner - The Social Network</li>
<li>Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - True Grit</li>
</ul><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><strong>Actor in a Leading Role</strong></span><br />
<ul><li>Javier Bardem - Biutiful</li>
<li>Jeff Bridges - True Grit</li>
<li>Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network</li>
<li>Colin Firth - The King's Speech</li>
<li>James Franco - 127 Hours</li>
</ul><strong><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Actress in a Leading Role</span></strong><br />
<ul><li>Annette Bening - The Kid's are All Right</li>
<li>Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole</li>
<li>Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone</li>
<li>Natalie Portman - Black Swan</li>
<li>Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine</li>
</ul>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-38120917757940552162011-02-20T20:30:00.012-05:002011-02-21T08:05:07.380-05:00President's Day - Let's take a moment to reflect.Who knows what President's Day is? In the United States most of us do. It's to honor the nation's first President, George Washington, and one of the nation's most celebrated President's, Abraham Lincoln, right? Both of their birthday's are in February, Abraham Lincoln's is February 12th while George Washington's birthday is either February 22nd or February 11th, depending on if you are using the "Gregorian" or "Julian" calendar (to see more on this click <a target="_new" href="http://usparks.about.com/library/weekly/aa021499.htm">here</a>). Depending on what part of the country you are from it may be to honor all past and current Presidents. <br />
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I like President's Day. It is supposed to be a time to reflect on why we, as a nation, are where we are at this point in time. I've gotten more interested as time goes on in these two great historical figures. No matter what the present and future hold for our great country, our past is set and these two men have shaped the nation in ways that I'm not sure they even would realize. Do you think they ever thought that this country would have over three hundred million people in it? I wonder if they ever thought about it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqQqhr4mcU45UX0c8lGr4xnBDf8nBxY5mdHKAgoHKEaYTiJMpG44wTzUovL6OAZuN5bycImPc3Cn4AJ6wyEmpW0b2bw8Ksvcdm1KxN76nPDugfTK0RODhzJbNxJC3B5IYoca6QwKNtfmd/s1600/george-washington-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqQqhr4mcU45UX0c8lGr4xnBDf8nBxY5mdHKAgoHKEaYTiJMpG44wTzUovL6OAZuN5bycImPc3Cn4AJ6wyEmpW0b2bw8Ksvcdm1KxN76nPDugfTK0RODhzJbNxJC3B5IYoca6QwKNtfmd/s200/george-washington-picture.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">George Washington, after his death was know as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." You can't summarize someones life in one sentence, but that one sentence is pretty powerful when put in the context of George Washington. I'm not going to regurgitate what history books and scholars can convey much better than I can about George Washington. What I can add is when I think about what this man accomplished and all he overcame I can see a glimpse of what he must have been. He must have been an incredibly intelligent, hard working, driven and gutsy person. Do people in today's world stand up for what they believe in like he did?</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZyzZKnejoj1Cy-mKcUTSX0-iIiNiTA5JHg8IKDu_4SpCgXd-v04ln3NYlJLfaSUqODSWUMSoODlR_6Hb7P_FuT8-GL18j-FoRrPWl0Pn6GbDbmO7UdlgCclLyjDRBq7LbFi9eYUx4ck5/s1600/abraham-lincoln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZyzZKnejoj1Cy-mKcUTSX0-iIiNiTA5JHg8IKDu_4SpCgXd-v04ln3NYlJLfaSUqODSWUMSoODlR_6Hb7P_FuT8-GL18j-FoRrPWl0Pn6GbDbmO7UdlgCclLyjDRBq7LbFi9eYUx4ck5/s200/abraham-lincoln.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Abraham Lincoln is known for many accomplishments as well. His greatest feat was abolishing slavery in the United States of America while keeping his country from staying split in two. While it was George Washington's fate to guide people in creating this nation, it was Abraham Lincoln's duty to keep it from going too far in the wrong direction. At the time of Abraham Lincoln's Presidency, a lot of politicians were hot on the <i>Constitution</i> and using that as the sole guideline for running the country. Abraham Lincoln, focused more on the morality of the <i>Declaration of Independence</i> and it's emphasis on freedom and equality. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So while most of the kids in our nation will be off school and some of the adults that work will not have to go into work for the day. Take a moment and reflect why we are not working or at school. Do a little research and find out about these two men who helped put our nation where it is today. Why not make it a goal to take a few minutes and look into some other presidents that you don't know much about. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, I want you to comment on some facts you know about these two men. Better yet, if you know any facts about any presidents that you would like to share.... do it now.</span>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-81021106216071241272011-02-17T20:30:00.003-05:002011-02-17T20:30:00.118-05:00My dear Watson, are you for real?<i>I had some help with today's posting. My son Avery is a huge 'Watson' fan. He helped me with picking pictures and posting this entry. Thanks Avery!!</i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfpMYcE33ndoolO4SrljwPKxW1RH8FybpOPcqK2WC3lxpb-yVCLpugAP63pSv-Lw43FgFvLN68Mh3SgdTAp2Ws5luBzRZtzPNBCfpQZQrDWYqCsoytq_hplRt75O4cZ0WjQ4J1DLhXhyphenhyphen_/s1600/ibm-watson-jeopardy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfpMYcE33ndoolO4SrljwPKxW1RH8FybpOPcqK2WC3lxpb-yVCLpugAP63pSv-Lw43FgFvLN68Mh3SgdTAp2Ws5luBzRZtzPNBCfpQZQrDWYqCsoytq_hplRt75O4cZ0WjQ4J1DLhXhyphenhyphen_/s320/ibm-watson-jeopardy.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Watson. The winner of Jeopardy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Did anyone watch the three days of Jeopardy earlier this week? It took two of the biggest winners in Jeopardy history and pitted them against a computer named ‘Watson’ created by IBM. The two humans involved were Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Ken Jennings holds the title of most consecutive wins on Jeopardy. In 2004 he won seventy four uninterrupted games of Jeopardy. He won over 3.1 million dollars on Jeopardy not to mention another 300,000 dollars this week for coming in second place. Brad Rutter holds the title for winning the most money on Jeopardy with over 3.2 million dollars (not to mention cars and other items) as well as winning 200,000 dollars this week for coming in third place. These two champions have what it takes to win. They have the intelligence to answer the questions correctly and the ability to play the game, not to mention nerves of steel. So what about our third contestant and three day winner? Watson is a computer that has the ability to understand the human language and answer questions asked of it. It’s an artificial intelligence program that has very sophisticated algorithms to help it get to the correct answer. An algorithm is like the computer’s thought process. It is developed by the people who created Watson over at IBM.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQN7rronKP5gMCA0AVAJD8PbgObi9f9RAkmS3oqb6VEM9URVxdjneo_FmE0NjOwfJJT2g7-_W9f1YX5MCgBkGk2qXKHyLf9MF4FqiZGru5PMK614cM9bsUyEez6UqIlsFG3VmRCVqG35Og/s1600/WatsonBody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQN7rronKP5gMCA0AVAJD8PbgObi9f9RAkmS3oqb6VEM9URVxdjneo_FmE0NjOwfJJT2g7-_W9f1YX5MCgBkGk2qXKHyLf9MF4FqiZGru5PMK614cM9bsUyEez6UqIlsFG3VmRCVqG35Og/s320/WatsonBody.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watson's body</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It seems like the computer was just too much for our two human champions. Although there were times that it came out with the wrong answer or would wager odd amounts in the daily double and final Jeopardy, overall it seemed to perform better than its human counterparts, at least on answering these sets of questions. The three days were enjoyable to watch though. Although the score seemed like a blowout, there were times when the humans were giving the computer a run for its money. For instance at the end of day one, Brad was tied with Watson. Then, during day three Ken was beating Watson for a while. However, here is one huge advantage that Watson had, he didn’t get frustrated. If it got beat to the buzzer five times in a row it would still have the same chance at getting question number six correct as it did before. Brad and Ken were sometimes visibly frustrated when Watson would go on a question winning streak. They would have to regain their composure, which they always did, to move on. Watson never had composure to lose or regain.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaB0yBJKJXMFFW7-hCDhS8qetVWCLwnxYOdD0gT6UPJw1XBlyaBcUHrxO36a8AVIG3ZWxGfnqC6xZvQn_dF0vhm1b3Av4jilmw4JAb8nLS3Pxy6fYDcVcSVuxVS4y0S6TqedfqSIhOA4K1/s1600/WatsonBody2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaB0yBJKJXMFFW7-hCDhS8qetVWCLwnxYOdD0gT6UPJw1XBlyaBcUHrxO36a8AVIG3ZWxGfnqC6xZvQn_dF0vhm1b3Av4jilmw4JAb8nLS3Pxy6fYDcVcSVuxVS4y0S6TqedfqSIhOA4K1/s320/WatsonBody2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture of Watson's body</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The creators of Watson did give him some personality. The physical ‘Watson’ was made up of two basic parts, the computer and the representation of that computer. The computer itself was huge and stored back stage, but his representation was an Avatar, as represented in the image above. It looked like it had a head, and you could see when he was thinking and when he was frustrated or upset that he got a question wrong by watching the colors of the avatar change. Of course he was never truly upset or frustrated or happy for that matter. The creators just programmed that humanity in him so we would enjoy the show more. So it boils down like this, we the audience saw a ‘human’ side of Watson with his changing colors, voice and perceived emotion. Ken and Brad saw the ‘inhuman’ side of Watson with his ruthless ability and speed to answer questions over and over again, like the machine was designed to do.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvlucUSkT_UzEJFi_6n8z1iCfaKS2QQ4OWFqXFqUUPaa1_JDOZ025ZELyufx7R7X6X9fqVBsN917jrQIgjoPboA9Ph6AJXBH0NHcKx07x7jx4S-7Y0i27IxLnMLWU2HOWaEcF3w9ZQ7-e/s1600/Watson-Avatar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvlucUSkT_UzEJFi_6n8z1iCfaKS2QQ4OWFqXFqUUPaa1_JDOZ025ZELyufx7R7X6X9fqVBsN917jrQIgjoPboA9Ph6AJXBH0NHcKx07x7jx4S-7Y0i27IxLnMLWU2HOWaEcF3w9ZQ7-e/s200/Watson-Avatar.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinking Watson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYCy1lqjR8-rhtmaVR9cBeyKKvYscASipVgDqq9tzQwoe_6Dz11FwHvTpzopCr01T16kkbhx7RFr5HUW0WJQn0Gyyttesl_9SGa-smiKkRC5U9OpyuFmiOmXAaBWiBPdWm4ZgzgL8wctD/s1600/rcjWatsonFace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYCy1lqjR8-rhtmaVR9cBeyKKvYscASipVgDqq9tzQwoe_6Dz11FwHvTpzopCr01T16kkbhx7RFr5HUW0WJQn0Gyyttesl_9SGa-smiKkRC5U9OpyuFmiOmXAaBWiBPdWm4ZgzgL8wctD/s200/rcjWatsonFace.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Watson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Overall it was a very enjoyable three days of Jeopardy. I’m not a regular watcher because it seems like there is always something else going on, but we did make time for these days and we are glad we did. It got me thinking though. How far off is artificial intelligence from having a major role in human affairs? Will the computers be tricky like ‘Hal’ from 2001 a space odyssey or ruthless like the robots from the Terminator movies? Is this sci-fi coming to life or life becoming sci-fi? Only time will tell.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_abdQNUzcH_gcBuQvwuxBAvgyz75loC6stge7s51zhukxQ6J1ny49DKyUwFXUOy4_OS6fBlJEpMoUrN1CvK-WLeph3fo8wh-lyMYTfNvDL6Wlxo69SGKAyuSm087aLLyO0NvgThkpDFy/s1600/terminator_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_abdQNUzcH_gcBuQvwuxBAvgyz75loC6stge7s51zhukxQ6J1ny49DKyUwFXUOy4_OS6fBlJEpMoUrN1CvK-WLeph3fo8wh-lyMYTfNvDL6Wlxo69SGKAyuSm087aLLyO0NvgThkpDFy/s200/terminator_10.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
</div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-7306368795508363692011-02-13T21:00:00.014-05:002011-02-14T07:28:14.893-05:00Running, why do people like it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsgaf-V7LiOXk8KUozDrAci662ntrqYj9CL4Miw1SgwV0frlLq4MBdDglTmX1-o49EJdqF6GMqTMAw4RmtgK0ymLGS3gSnxN16W_W_gj-0qYJ5uH0nm6ccnUyCMZinRNjNut_-v87xFjs/s1600/homer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsgaf-V7LiOXk8KUozDrAci662ntrqYj9CL4Miw1SgwV0frlLq4MBdDglTmX1-o49EJdqF6GMqTMAw4RmtgK0ymLGS3gSnxN16W_W_gj-0qYJ5uH0nm6ccnUyCMZinRNjNut_-v87xFjs/s200/homer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We’ve all seen those insane people running in the middle of winter. How about when you are going into work at 7:00am and you see that same person, running the same path with a big smile on their face. There is this guy I see running every morning in the summer time. He waves to every car as they drive by. Are those smiles on runner’s faces or grimaces of pain? Runners can easily disguise pain as pleasure because in the extreme forms of pain and pleasure your teeth show and no one knows if you are smiling or cursing. Why do people run?<br />
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WAIT, all you runners don’t stop reading here. I’m actually a proponent of running although it may not sound like it from above. Let’s be strait here, there are different levels of running. Some people look like they are born to run (my son Avery for one), others look like every step they take is a struggle (me for instance). Then there are those who are somewhere in between. The one thing to keep in mind is exercise is so good for you, if you aren’t into running that’s OK. What I’m saying here can be applied to any exercise. The key to exercise is to find something you will have fun doing. If you aren’t training for some kind of competition, don’t worry about keeping stats and watching improvements. If you keep consistently exercising you will improve.<br />
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I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with running and until recently I didn’t know why. I’m not talking about running with a ball in front of you like soccer or basketball, or running after you hit a ball like baseball. I’m talking about running in its purest form. For all you literary students think of the ‘Man vs. Himself’ conflict in literature. I’ve found this to be my biggest challenge in running, myself. At least it has been until now. I only started to enjoy running when I did it for leisure a few years ago. I’ll back up for a moment though.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">My first memories of running were when I played soccer. It was fun, but of course there was a ball in front of me. Then I kept playing soccer. All of the sudden when I got to high school the coaches wanted us to be in great shape. “On your off days you should run ten miles to keep in shape.” They would say. Wanting to be in great shape, so I could play soccer more, I ran. It wasn’t very fun though. Fast forward a few years. I’m looking for an exercise I can do during lunchtime at work. I worked downtown Cleveland at the time. A friend and work colleague of mine said, let’s run together. “Sure, let’s do that” I said. Well, he was way above me in stamina and running skill so he would always get ahead of me and I would try to keep up, killing myself in the process. Who likes this running thing? I quickly bagged it for some other form of exercise that worked for me. I thought my strait running days were over with.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lZcBobUTWm8dn4cCCfE6UGFrRHyG1Hhe1AobAivVaEHf6yV3hf2vRrMQxBVGjHbtqfBEzkwQdjAIiWe_xiyxeMxckm27s_gMpttORrxx0ZEQz_9CFOhgCl6vaCmB9A6zNc9Sr14bgLhb/s1600/cheetah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lZcBobUTWm8dn4cCCfE6UGFrRHyG1Hhe1AobAivVaEHf6yV3hf2vRrMQxBVGjHbtqfBEzkwQdjAIiWe_xiyxeMxckm27s_gMpttORrxx0ZEQz_9CFOhgCl6vaCmB9A6zNc9Sr14bgLhb/s200/cheetah.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN">Then a few years ago my son Avery heard about this cross country team from a local school. He thought he would give it a try. He is a natural runner and took to it quickly. I would go to his practices and watch him. It looked like he was having fun. He actually told us that he finds peace while running. It’s very calming for him. What better endorsement than from a family member. I decided to try it again, just for fun this time. My first few times were a struggle. Then it started to get easier. Then I started to look around the trails and noticed the nature we were running through. I was really breathing in the fresh air. To top it off I was spending time with my son and some of his friends. We carry on conversations while running. I’ve met some great people. I got to know other kids and parents from this group. The running team is coached by the most positive coaches I’ve seen, ever. What an incredible environment for the kids. OK I’m hooked. I actually like running. Now I’m in mid-winter and have other forms of exercise to keep me busy but I’m getting the itch to start up running again. I can’t wait until spring. Nature, fresh air, camaraderie, I get it now. As long as I keep the perspective of doing it for fun and not setting goals that I can’t keep, I’ll be running for a while. I understand that most runners are smiling and not grimacing. Do what works for you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Do you like to run? If so, do you run by yourself or with others? Competition, social or fun running? If you don’t run what is your reasoning? </span></div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-15441593309368086972011-02-10T21:26:00.002-05:002011-02-10T21:34:49.218-05:00What do you know about acupuncture?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMkaWPiOjp98ghd3Iw9sNrIOFjn9TTwNMrGgYiNtCe4biaSIzej05nHpLXBN2RbKXsxfK4KwKBOahdxMsB6NDTWqxmeRqba1x_GE9L_LuDyfUmaHTzSnCWvueOXaNQgkXvqqoUE9rO6CD/s1600/Acupuncture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMkaWPiOjp98ghd3Iw9sNrIOFjn9TTwNMrGgYiNtCe4biaSIzej05nHpLXBN2RbKXsxfK4KwKBOahdxMsB6NDTWqxmeRqba1x_GE9L_LuDyfUmaHTzSnCWvueOXaNQgkXvqqoUE9rO6CD/s200/Acupuncture.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acupuncture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I don’t know all the inner workings of acupuncture. However I do understand the basic principles that it works on. As most of us know acupuncture was first practiced in China and has been practiced there for thousands of years. Acupuncturists believe there are meridians or channels that run up and down the body in which our vital energy flows. This is not unlike how blood flows through series of blood vessels. The vital energy is not blood and the meridians are not blood vessels but the concepts are similar. Stuff, be it blood or energy, flows throughout the body. When the energy flow is disrupted an imbalance is created and sickness occurs. The purpose of acupuncture is to repair the disrupted flow and bring balance (and therefore health) back to the body. To accomplish this, the acupuncturist uses a series of needles that are placed into the body, specifically the meridians, to restore the proper flow of energy. When going through my cancer treatments I had acupuncture done to me to help relieve some of the side effects. Do you think it was able to help me? Can acupuncture help others that have to go through these treatments for cancer?<br />
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Cancer treatments like Chemotherapy and Radiation are designed to get rid of cancer cells, or at least keep them in check. The problem is they don’t distinguish the healthy cells from the cancer cells. So you lose plenty of the healthy cells too. Once you start losing a significant amount of healthy cells you can start to see and feel the side effects of the treatments. You can experience a wide range of side effects, anything from hair and appetite loss to weakness and fatigue. The list goes on and on because your body is made of healthy cells. Think of damaging or taking blocks of them away. Let’s compare it to a decaying house. Parts of the house start getting worse while others are standing strong, but eventually, if not attended to, the decay will take over and the house will fall down. Once these cells start getting damaged the vital energy flow in your body is getting disrupted too. There are many ways to minimize and relieve these side effects, with varying degrees of success. Dana suggested I try acupuncture. She used it in the past and had a positive experience.<br />
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I was lucky to find an acupuncturist that worked close by. He has a place in the next city over from where I live. It was only about a five minute drive. Although he was not the acupuncturist that Dana used, he did have a great recommendation from a friend. He is so busy that at the time he didn’t even take new patients without a recommendation. Later he told us he can work twelve hours a day and still have people waiting. He has three single patient rooms that he rotates between. He pops in and out of the rooms constantly working on people. He was born in China, so acupuncture has always been part of his culture and life. He has been working for many years (twenty or more) as an acupuncturist. However, he still goes to China every few years to continue his study. He is as reputable as they come. <br />
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Every appointment I had with our acupuncturist was similar. He always wanted me to bring my blood test results and would look them over before he treated me. He also asked a series of questions which related to my general mental and physical health, energy and attitude. Then he would pull the lower eyelid down and look at the blood vessels in my eye. After that he knew how he would treat me for that day. I can’t pretend to know how he made his decisions about treatment but I do know he had a very specific method. He would assure us that the acupuncture would help. He once told us that in China if someone has cancer and has to go through chemotherapy and radiation that it would be standard for them to also use acupuncture to help relieve the side effects.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">I had seven weeks of radiation therapy with three chemotherapy sessions scattered throughout. The main treatment for getting rid of the tumors was the radiation. The chemo was supposed to enhance the effectiveness of the radiation and pickup any spare cancer cells that may have started spreading in regions beyond my neck. I started the acupuncture close to the second of my three chemotherapy sessions. The chemotherapy sessions were very intense so I would have one then I would wait for three to four weeks to have another one. After my first session my white blood cells dropped so low that I couldn’t have my second one three or even four weeks later. At this point I was in danger of not having enough time to fit my third treatment in. Then came the acupuncture, not only did I fit my third chemotherapy session in, but I actually did it a week earlier than planned. Usually toward the end of treatment your body would have more trouble generating enough white blood cells to have another chemotherapy session. I also have to add that the doctor who was in charge of my radiation therapy said that he had never seen anyone handle it as well as I did. He even called me superman. Of course it’s not like I had an easy time with these treatments, I just find it curious that toward the end of my treatments I seemed to be doing better than most people expected me to be. I can attribute that to my acupuncture.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">The effectiveness of the acupuncture is a hard thing to measure. I’ve never gone through cancer treatments without it to compare. However, I believe that the acupuncture did help my body heal quicker and help me recuperate in enough time to fit in all of my cancer treatments. I continued to use acupuncture for several months after my cancer treatments ended. It helped my body restore it’s vitality in a quicker fashion that it would have without the acupuncture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Who else out there has used acupuncture? What did you use it for? Do you think it had any effects on you?</span></div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-11841470282174632882011-02-06T20:00:00.001-05:002011-02-07T08:16:26.437-05:00Why are some days better than others?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Why does it seem that some days are better than others? Is it fate, karma, luck, astrology or just plain randomness? I got to thinking about this the other day when I had a “bad” day. It was actually a bad few hours, but those few hours seemed like a day in length. I remember thinking “when will this stop? “ The bad events did stop, as they always do. Not only did they stop but something good came out of it. I got another idea for a post on my blog. I figured out why bad things aren’t always bad and I can tell you why.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Within a twelve hour period, all these things happened to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>I was at a stop light and was hit from behind.</li>
<li>Found out both cars need tires and one needs breaks too.</li>
<li>The morning was extra hectic because my wife had somewhere to be and was in the shower. Leaving me to battle the feisty kids and get them ready for school on my own.</li>
<li>My dog threw up all over her bed and herself. Not just a little, I’m talking more vomit than I’ve ever seen come from a dog. </li>
<li>My garage door broke. So I couldn’t drive my ‘hit from behind’ car into work.</li>
<li>The toilet started leaking.</li>
<li>We noticed ants in our kitchen. You have to remember it is January in Cleveland Ohio, I didn’t even know ants were around.</li>
<li>Five light bulbs blew within a two hour period.</li>
</ul><div>Any of these things alone would be simple to handle. Even looking back at that list now, it just doesn’t seem like a big deal for a twelve hour period of time. Actually though it was more like three hours, because out of that twelve I was sleeping for seven, getting ready for sleep (and then work) and showing for one, working out for one and helping the kids with a puzzle for one. Those were the calm times in the twelve hour span. But when they all happened together, in the order they did as fast as they did, my mind wanted to explode. I eventually fixed my garage door enough so it would open and close. I was just going to get a late start to the day.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This all happened on the Catholic feast day of St. Blaise. He is the Patron Saint of throat illness. It is said that St. Blaise, as a young man, healed a boy that came to him with a fish-bone stuck in his throat. That is how he became the Patron Saint of throat illness. Naturally, having gone through throat cancer, I wanted to go to mass that day and give thanks for having all that behind me, also to get my throat blessed again. So on my way to mass, which I was late for because of my trying morning, I felt a sense of calm come over me that continued to intensify during the mass.</div><div><br />
</div><div>After mass I was lucky enough that it continued throughout the rest of the day. But that morning and the evening before were something to behold. In the drive to work I started thinking about how I was reacting to all of this. I actually became thankful that these things happened. I remembered that one year ago I was a zombie on the couch hoping that my body could recover from the trauma of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Everyone told me it would, but it sure didn’t feel like it. At that time, if these ‘inconvenient events’ happened, I wouldn’t have been able to react at all. </div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Point #1</span>: I was alive and happy enough to react to these things happening to me. Hey!! That’s great. I survived cancer. What about all the people currently going through life altering events like we were last year. It made me think of the news story I saw about the streets of Mentor lined on both sides as a memorial to a fallen soldier. Not only was this hero a soldier, but a father, husband, family member and many other titles, I’m sure of it. OK, so a hit car and broken garage door isn’t that bad after all.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><b>Point #2</b></span>: Some of these “bad” events made me take a closer look at some things that needed attention anyway. Sure the cars need tires and breaks, but that will help keep us safe. The garage door may seem like an inconvenience to fix, but in these frigid temperatures, it’s better than having to get out of the car to open/close the garage door.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><b>Point #3</b></span>: Timing seems to be everything with these bad events. Good events too, there will be a time when the pendulum swings the other way and we will get a ton of good news from different sources. Most things are only as bad as you perceive them to be at the time. I stress “most”. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Tell me about something that happened to you recently that you considered “bad” or a major inconvenience and then after a few hours realized, it wasn’t as bad as first perceived.</div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-20009858211923486872011-01-30T20:00:00.002-05:002011-01-31T08:22:50.935-05:00Lance Armstrong. Is he really doping? <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06dy98Vb_8ydku6hMqgFeJbuW0lNx_5ev0qusiS1WaOqJ3Ih2EI2yxvKO8-qQKN8ZM9dL3vr1Wtchvh9J5nAGtYMT5FvTuBNL4xSVph69AJqNMJ-gi-1c1ziC9J_SK0CtfvbOqJk3Aw5A/s1600/LanceArmstrong7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06dy98Vb_8ydku6hMqgFeJbuW0lNx_5ev0qusiS1WaOqJ3Ih2EI2yxvKO8-qQKN8ZM9dL3vr1Wtchvh9J5nAGtYMT5FvTuBNL4xSVph69AJqNMJ-gi-1c1ziC9J_SK0CtfvbOqJk3Aw5A/s200/LanceArmstrong7.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lance Armstrong after his seventh TDF Win!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last Week Lance Armstrong finished his last international competition as a cyclist. The Tour Down Under is an intense 470-mile race that runs through southern Australia. It’s also where he made his return to competition, three years ago. He finished in 67th place. It makes you think, you mean 66 people finished before the supreme athlete who won seven Tour de Frances? A feat that no other human has ever accomplished. Come on now, just the fact that he is still competing with people almost half his age is impressive. He is still the juggernaut that he has always been in cycling. He deals with the same thing we all deal with, if we’re lucky, aging.<br />
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I’m not commenting on his outstanding career as a cyclist today. Nor am I commenting on all the amazing accomplishments he has achieved. Take a look for yourself on what he and his organization, Livestrong, have done for cancer research, prevention and cure. (<a href="http://www.livestrong.com/">http://www.livestrong.com/</a>). Today we are going to talk about the dead horse that people keep beating. That’s right, ‘the doping scandal’ has started up again.<br />
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Let me start by saying, Lance has never tested positive for any type of performance enhancing drugs. However, several people claim they have firsthand knowledge of his use. Who are these people? Betsy Andreu, the wife of a former teammate of Armstrong’s, who has had an axe to grind with Armstrong for years. Floyd Landis, a TDF winner who had his own title stripped from him for doping, another former teammate of Armstrong’s who now openly admits he was doping. It’s just a case of someone lying, but who is it? Even Sports Illustrated is getting in on the witch hunt as they reported that initial screenings of some tests in the 90’s showed excessive testosterone levels. However, if I recall correctly the ‘B’ tests, which are taken at the same time as the original (A) tests as a backup, came up negative. That’s why they have a ‘B’ test to disprove (or prove) positive ‘A’ results. The SI reporter claims, as she was writing this story that she asked Armstrong for some information about this for two weeks and he never got back to her. Finally, his lawyer responded. Frankly, I would do the same thing, he has been bothered by this for years and come out innocent every time, why even give them the time of day? Right, and by the way, Armstrong’s lawyer responded by sending the SI reporter documents with information that helps prove Armstrong’s innocence. Those documents were never used in the SI report. If you are going to report on a subject, do it with all the information available, or don’t do it at all.<br />
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The other thing that brings the intensity of this round of allegations up is that Armstrong and Landis were teammates on a cycling team sponsored by the U.S. Postal service, essentially making them government employees. If things go the wrong way for Lance charges could come up against him that deal with defrauding the U.S. Government. What are we missing here people? If that is the case, wouldn’t Landis and all his other teammates need to have the same charges brought up against them? After all the claim is that the whole team was doping, under Armstrong’s leadership. There are even claims that in the 2004 TDF the team bus driver faked bus troubles on a remote road so the team could have time to undergo blood transfusions out of the public eye. Really? Wouldn’t that be the most watched team in the whole TDF? This was the New York Yankees or the LA Lakers of the cycling world.<br />
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If you look at the extensive tests and results throughout the years, why would you even go after him again? Why is there a certain group of people that think he is guilty? Are they such bitter people that seeing some else succeed so much drives them to take him down? On the other hand, a lot of the people that claim he was doping were at one time very close to him. Maybe they know something we don’t. I want to believe that doping was not how Armstrong had such a successful cycling career. I can say with certainty that there is one man who knows for sure. <br />
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There have been tests done on his body on why he is so good. His lungs have an incredible ability to take in and use oxygen more efficiently than anyone else that have ever been tested. Team that up with his other physical conditioning and his mental drive to succeed and I think we have an innocent cyclist. Let’s think about all he’s accomplished outside of cycling. When he was twenty five he had testicular cancer in such an advanced stage that his doctors gave him less than a forty percent chance of living. I would say it takes some faith and drive to make it through that. For those that don’t know, that was before he even won one TDF yet. Maybe he had this type of obsessive drive before or maybe it was formed in his fight against cancer. Whenever he got it, he also used it in his professional cycling career. I believe that is how he won the seven TDFs, not by doping.<br />
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I’m throwing my hat to the ‘innocent’ side. I believe that Lance Armstrong did not take performance enhancing drugs during his professional cycling career. What does anyone else think? Do some research, post some comments on what you find.<br />
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What do you think? Is Lance Armstrong the subject of unfair allegations year after year, or is he pulling off the biggest doping cover up in the history of sports?John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-86333385156845020482011-01-27T20:00:00.003-05:002011-01-28T08:01:11.215-05:00The AnswerAlright people, I’ve kept you waiting long enough. I don’t like dragging things out. After these many days of waiting (it’s been at least two weeks since I’ve started this blog) I’m going to comment on what the space between means to me and where the inspiration came from. I’ve read many great comments on it, everything from Buber or Kierkegaard to Dave Matthews, “that moment of consciousness when you become ‘aware’”, “the space between my cancer diagnosis and cure”, “the moments between waking and sleeping and the conscious/unconscious shift into reality”, comparison to the importance of the space between the logs of a fire where oxygen is needed to fuel that fire, “the wisdom of life’s experiences that can open our eyes”. All these are very thought provoking comments. I’ve thought more than a minute on each of these. I’ve realized you guys are deep. I’m going to have to dig deep into my mind to keep a crowd like this entertained and coming back. <br />
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As one reader stated, and I agree... To this day I’m still singing the “Space Between” song by Dave Matthews. It’s been stuck in my head since I started this blog. It’s a great song but I may consider changing the name of the blog to see if helps get that song out of my head. <br />
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As I’ve stated several times throughout my blog, including my ‘About’ section, the ‘Space Between’ for me can be anywhere I’m at where my brain has a down moment. It is like an ‘Ah-Ha’ moment. You aren’t thinking of anything in particular and a thought pops into your head. A lot of times it’s a profound thought, sometimes though not so profound. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBZj0CKRBk9c5vj-p-IFiPnx9DbFW1VHkTDBgbaAil7syF8H2EUhumF1vh2B_9yzU1tCVA2Gn2wuW-avukMypbOyRUvK1D-QCHVwIhRGeHYVXOy6pt_IJLiekZHsPY0HvrQIJeKDBDiLB/s1600/bruce-lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBZj0CKRBk9c5vj-p-IFiPnx9DbFW1VHkTDBgbaAil7syF8H2EUhumF1vh2B_9yzU1tCVA2Gn2wuW-avukMypbOyRUvK1D-QCHVwIhRGeHYVXOy6pt_IJLiekZHsPY0HvrQIJeKDBDiLB/s200/bruce-lee.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>I liken this to something I learned while studying Jeet Kune Do. <span style="color: white;"><strong><SIDEBAR></strong></span> Jeet Kune Do is the style of Marital Arts the legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee developed. He developed this devastating style after realizing that all the traditional styles of martial arts were not working for him. Jeet Kune Do, compared to some of these more traditional styles, is very direct in its approach. Every movement has deliberate meaning. It has economy of motion because no movement is wasted. However, I digress into the subject for another day’s post.<span style="color: white;"><strong><END SIDEBAR></strong></span> Why did I even bring Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do up? Because one thing I learned in my JKD training was to never stop for a moment. Better put “in emptiness, punch”. Basically, for martial arts it means don’t dance around, don’t hesitate, don’t do anything but act. There is no down time in a fight or match. If you’re arms are staying still then punch. “In Emptiness Punch”. That’s how you get results. I got to thinking about this one day, is that what happens when these thoughts pop into my head, but with the mental and not physical? Restated: “In Emptiness Think.” I may not consciously be doing it but the thoughts do pop into my head in emptiness. I’m sure it happens to all of us, right?<br />
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I hope you’ve been enjoying reading this blog as much as I’ve been enjoying writing it. I agree with what one of my readers told me offline. Even as our technology continues to evolve making it theoretically easier to communicate with each other, a lot of people are becoming increasingly isolated. Open dialog promotes people’s understanding, awareness and tolerance of each other. You can’t hope to save the world with words alone but it’s a great start.John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-88756071927933579462011-01-23T21:18:00.003-05:002011-01-23T21:25:34.375-05:00Is Michael Douglas truly doing well or is he just acting?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJSUUetJ_HqXcY3tjzKBhPO5DOMwxz60mQxtVnbUH4qrpHKi1nheRgECUZTaAmFx2Iy_xNwXH8rEQ5PM6AIAd0TOlm74KMOv5trYIw3WcMnkTUmg3nMuH7YnSEzFglhL6mfeGzY0oinlA/s1600/michael-douglas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJSUUetJ_HqXcY3tjzKBhPO5DOMwxz60mQxtVnbUH4qrpHKi1nheRgECUZTaAmFx2Iy_xNwXH8rEQ5PM6AIAd0TOlm74KMOv5trYIw3WcMnkTUmg3nMuH7YnSEzFglhL6mfeGzY0oinlA/s200/michael-douglas.jpg" width="172" /></a><br />
<i>As of the time of this post the full interview with Michael Douglas is not on the internet. If it becomes available I will post it here. Take a look at the <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/41017304#41017304">seven minute teaser</a> if you missed the full interview and come back to see my comments.</i><br />
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This whole story is one I can sink my teeth into. Besides the fact that I’ve always liked him as an actor and person, the Michael Douglas cancer story and mine have many parallels. I’ve kept tabs on it and was excited to see the recent interview with Matt Lauer that was aired on Sunday, January 23rd 2010 at 7:00 on Dateline. Michael and I have a lot of similarities, we both had neck cancer, we had the same treatment regime and, to date, similar results. Not to mention we are both good looking Hollywood Superstars. Did I stretch our similarities a little bit? I may not be a Hollywood Superstar, but I think I’m destined for that, just as soon as I change my career from I.T. to acting. Was Michael’s experience similar to mine? Is he doing as well as he seems? <br />
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</div><div><div>Did you see it? Good. Right off the bat I’ve got to say, he looks great. The timing of his cancer discovery and treatments run about one year after mine. I understand the place he is in right now. When Matt Lauer asks him “How he feels now?” His response is about how he feels about his cancer, he is relieved the tumor is gone and talks about his follow up visits. Later in the interview he talks about how he is working out and getting healthy again. He seems to be doing well. What he probably does not realize (or maybe he does), is that he is going to feel even better in the months to come. The physical and mental decline is pretty quick with this treatment regime. Within a couple months you go from feeling normal (depending on your cancer) to feeling like last night’s leftovers heated in a microwave. On the healing side, when treatments are done you think you are feeling better within a couple of months and that’s going to be the best you feel. You are just grateful that you are making improvements. However, to build up all the muscle, stamina and mental prowess takes time. My doctors told me I should wait a year or more before I really determine how well I’m going to feel. Now, at thirteen months out of treatment, I feel like a new man compared to two months out of treatment. At that time thought I felt great. We will see Michael continue to feel better. My thoughts are that when he really starts feeling better he is going to want people to know and show his face a lot more. Maybe even another movie. Apparently he has those plans in the works, as he is going to play Liberace in a movie about the famous entertainer’s life. Not a part without lots of singing. </div><div><br />
</div><div>It disturbs me that he had to experience what he calls the “macabre enjoyment of watching me go down”, by the paparazzi. It’s like they wanted to see and record his decline. Hopefully, they can redeem themselves by recording his rise from the ashes as well!! That’s one aspect I’ve never had to go through, the photographers. I wonder if being in the spotlight like that helps the healing process because you want to prove that you are doing better or if it makes you want to hide more.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Another part of his process that I could relate to is the level of support from his wife and kids. I know it sounds weird to say that. After all, families are supposed to support each other in bad times. But when you actually experience it happening to you, it humbles you. I think he got that point across pretty well during his interview. I loved to hear how he handled the kids, they actually went to see some of his radiation treatments, as did mine. Sometimes the fear of the unknown is worse than the truth about the treatments. Children are very literal and appreciate the strait talk. </div><div><br />
</div><div>He touched on how hard it is to go through something like this but never went into detail about it. Most people probably don’t want to hear that. I did though. For one, I would be able to relate on a personal level. I also think it would be doing a good service for other people that are going to have this type (and any type) of cancer.</div><div> </div><div>Michael has been presented with an opportunity to be a spokesman for something that he probably never thought about before. He can use his celebrity to really bring awareness to cancer. He can be a poster boy for showing the positive that can come from this terrible disease. Lastly, his public profile can bring hope to many who have yet to travel the same tough road that he had to go down.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I can say I’m overjoyed that Michael Douglas is doing as well as it seems. I wish he and his family continued healing and success. Even though he didn’t elaborate too much during his interview, I am certain that he thinks about all the people that aren’t as fortunate as he and I.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I’m curious what your thoughts are. Were you a Michael Douglas fan before this? Are you now? Did his experience change that view? Or maybe you just don’t care about this. </div><div><br />
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</div></div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-59349343768624472372011-01-20T21:14:00.002-05:002011-01-21T07:02:33.888-05:00Someone I Love is Sick - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfoFWLCPpP0keyleMJlNPb1Xvqj9Okrne8PDf8RF6lk5C4Owo-lLmjOxeI7V-8E9wWoegcc20mKhkzQKLpEzQU84bjm9KIwKe0dAsOfp4IKgE19fQnkDs79xYIRBmsEJwxWhXK-yK_XhR/s200/SomeoneIloveIsSick.jpg" width="160" /></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the scariest things to handle when I was diagnosed with cancer was how to tell my children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have two kids, my son Avery is nine and my daughter Gracie is seven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was diagnosed they were six and eight (almost).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even before we accepted that I had cancer I was thinking about the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would I tell them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much would we let them know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we feed them the information piece by piece or do we tell them all at once?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn’t something we could hide, but we needed serious help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter a book called '<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Someone I Love is Sick’</i> written by Kathleen McCue, MA, LSW, CCLS…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to write about this book and how it eased one small, but very important, aspect of our whole cancer experience.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Dana and I started having kids we decided that she would stay at home while they were young and raise them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That just seemed to work the best for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What this meant is that I was the sole financial provider for the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a problem, as long as I could keep working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a typical man I was devastated that I couldn’t actively provide the things I needed for my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>men, by definition,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are the fix it guys We don’t need no stinkin’ help because we can do it all ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a reality check, which created another motto of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Don’t be afraid to accept help when needed and always give help when you are in the position.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The help we got in talking to the kids was in the form of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.someoneiloveissick.com/">‘Someone I Love is Sick’</a> by Kathleen McCue.</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are lucky enough to live by a great Cancer Center in Cleveland Ohio called the Gathering Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They help families of people that are touched by cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can find out more about my experience with them in a future post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, give them a look at </span></span><a href="http://www.touchedbycancer.org/"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">www.touchedbycancer.org</span></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, we got involved in going up there through a friend of ours, Meghan, who had cancer the year before I did. Meghan also introduced us to this book. She used it to tell her kids about her cancer. To make the circle complete we find out that the author of this book, Kathleen also works at the Gathering Place. </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s just start out with the mechanics of this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s very simple reading geared toward children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in a binder form so you can customize the book to fit your situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You start with a stack of pages and only use what is applicable to your situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our case it was me (the Dad in the book) who had cancer, so we took out all the pages that had anything to do with the Mom having cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to go through chemo and radiation so we included those pages in the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once customized it was time to read it to our kids, and hopefully get the conversation started about how this was going to change our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our help was here.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One night at dinner we read the book to the kids. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very understandable to them and had pictures in it as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We actually were preparing the kids on how to deal with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even had a laugh, one of the pages was about ‘why Mommy is always on the phone now that Daddy has cancer’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids made the comment that she was always on the phone anyway, so nothing there would be different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More importantly than a laugh was the ability that this book has to bring out conversations with young kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids were asking questions that we wouldn’t even have thought of because our minds were in a different place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions like ‘Did I cause this?’ and ‘Can I catch it from you?’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In writing this book, Kathleen expertly handles how to approach this sensitive<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>subject with the most important people in your lives, your kids. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs help on how to break devastating news like this to your kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just remember, keep positive, it’s just as scary for them as it is for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe more so.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kathleen also wrote the book <em>How to Help Children Through a Parent's Serious Illness.</em></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Has anyone else had to deal with telling their kids some difficult news? How did you handle it?</span></span></div>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-22140261672382365342011-01-17T21:14:00.000-05:002011-01-19T12:26:29.580-05:00The Two Faces of Cancer and Nutrition<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d like to start out by thanking everyone that commented on my first post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I appreciate your attention and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘The Space Between’ contest is still on for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any other thoughts on that title are welcome.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other day I started using Picasa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a photo editing tool from Google.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can do a lot of fun stuff with your digital pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can organize, label, make collages, make web albums for sharing and many other fun features that I’m sure I’m not even aware of yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time I used it, I noticed it was scanning my computer for images to group into folders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the cool things it does when it finds pictures is scan all the faces on those pictures, then it groups them in a special place for you to label.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s pretty cool to see a grouping of pictures of one person’s face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The different expressions they have, how they may change over time and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was looking at the face pictures of me and two of them were side by side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was pre-cancer and one was post-cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was quite a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The obvious loss of weight made me think<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about my struggle to get and keep good nutrients in my body while I was going through Chemo and Radiation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First have a look at the pictures.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_U-5yVgKU16STikPtJpJ8MMF78kRlso-xQvcShnU8vQmsH5mmgOeLowoOQ0RUSziNFqqTgeFFf3JuvfU0kNoc0RGzB3eeyGkHBGel0wtGmNrL9lhvejHcc0KjANpaArgMncv3DJAl0XB/s1600/JohnAC.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_U-5yVgKU16STikPtJpJ8MMF78kRlso-xQvcShnU8vQmsH5mmgOeLowoOQ0RUSziNFqqTgeFFf3JuvfU0kNoc0RGzB3eeyGkHBGel0wtGmNrL9lhvejHcc0KjANpaArgMncv3DJAl0XB/s1600/JohnAC.PNG" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCLlE4TD8HvdYbdBRpwzhFOgghQM2-32KKuIiydiGEIKlP_HTFXIUGYzerADiAvySZpvMYUfrsb73SN96TT5tEdKAvbuuB6GtTGcmK7YIVrjLErVckU1A-Sxdenor7d5eKqQASDIX49fs/s1600/JohnBC.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCLlE4TD8HvdYbdBRpwzhFOgghQM2-32KKuIiydiGEIKlP_HTFXIUGYzerADiAvySZpvMYUfrsb73SN96TT5tEdKAvbuuB6GtTGcmK7YIVrjLErVckU1A-Sxdenor7d5eKqQASDIX49fs/s1600/JohnBC.PNG" /></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A picture is worth a thousand words, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cancer I had was in a tonsil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The standard course of treatment for this type of cancer is Chemotherapy and Radiation, at least at the Cleveland Clinic where I was treated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People react differently to the different treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me the chemotherapy made me throw up and the radiation (which was aimed at my neck) made a wreck of my entire mouth and neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only couldn’t I chew or swallow because of the radiation, but the chemo made me throw up anything I did take in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first thing Dana and I noticed when we walked in the radiation station is that a lot of patients who had been there a while had to use feeding tubes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That first day I said to Dana, one of my goals during<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>these treatments<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is to stay away from the feeding tube.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I didn’t need a feeding tube, but looking back in retrospect, it was more a mental challenge for me to stay away from the feeding tube than anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, I got to the point where most of my nutrition was from cans of high-calorie liquid anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having a tube may have been the logical choice to get the food in but keeping away from it may have mentally helped me get through the treatments.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Radiation and chemo destroy good cells along with cancer cells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s think about what someone’s body is going through in a time like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body is fighting off the cancer cells as it is trying to repair the healthy cells that are getting damaged from the treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your body expends a lot of energy to accomplish this almost conflicting goal. Fight and Save, Fight and Save. Good nutrition is necessary for the body to create the energy to accomplish all it had to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to consciously remind myself of this throughout my treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with all this effort to get nutrition in my body, I was losing weight at an alarming rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had to endure another few weeks of treatment, I’m not sure I could have kept up the nutrition part without the help of a feeding tube.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Besides the obvious advantage of getting rid of the cancer I did have a few other good things happen as a result of the treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am more aware and can appreciate good nutrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day I pack my lunch for work, the main part of it is fruits and vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the same with my breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m more aware of what we give to our kids to eat too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Convenience is nice but rarely the healthiest choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cook at home almost all nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, I got off my blood pressure medicine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably because the weight drop, but it’s like I’ve been given a second chance to keep my body healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to waste that chance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Think of nutrition like your financial emergency fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t know when you’ll need it so build up while you can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t know when you are going to put your body though the ringer, so keep it healthy now.</span></span></div><h3 style="margin: auto 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></h3>John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218618617575647564.post-77227848106437231712011-01-13T12:37:00.003-05:002011-01-19T12:26:40.656-05:00Ready, Set, Go...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Why are you here? I can tell you why because something interested you or maybe you are a friend or family and feel obligated or possibly you just like the pretty background picture. Whatever your reason Thanks for visiting my blog. I’ve been working on getting this up for a few weeks now and after drowning in every little detail of the look and feel , I came up for air and decided it’s time to just do it. Of course I had some prompting from my wife Dana to stop being so obsessive about the little details too. So here it is…<br />
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My name is John Dzurko, I was born in 1968. That makes me forty two as of today. As mentioned above I have a wife named Dana. I also have two kids, a boy who is nine and a girl who is seven. You’ll be hearing more about all of them in future postings. Go to the ‘About Me’ page to find out more details on me and my family.<br />
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I recently had a life changing experience. I got in a fight. It was the fight of my life with a big, toughie named Cancer. I’m about thirteen months out of treatment now and everything is clear and doctors expect it to be clear forever. Let’s hope they are right. My gut tells me they are. Anyway, I’m still finding how it changed my life. I thought it might be fun and cleansing to write. I’m going to write about cancer, I sure am. <br />
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I’m going to write about a lot of things. I have a lot of thoughts that want to come out. This will be a good forum for it. I’m going to write about my life, family and activities. I’m also going to share my observations and opinions on all aspects of life as I see it. Be prepared, it should be a fun ride.<br />
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This is definitly a work in progress and will be improving as time goes by. I'll be adding pictures, movies, podcasts. I'm planning on having guest bloggers. Hey, if anyone has a subject you want to hear about or a guest you would like to hear from, let me know. If you want to write here too, don't be shy, just let me know and we'll work it out. We are going to have a blast. <br />
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You will be able to leave comments on all my posts. I encourage feedback, especially feedback that spurs conversation. Spirited conversation is great, but I am reserving the right to drop comments. Don’t worry, I won’t drop comments if you don’t agree with me. I do reserve the right to drop comments that are malicious or personal attacks on me, my family or anyone else that may be commenting. Keep it spirited, but respectful.<br />
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How about the title, “The Space Between”? Does anyone know where my initial inspiration to use that phrase was from? Why don’t you leave a comment about why I was inspired to name my blog “The Space Between”. I won’t leave you hanging for too long. I’ll give an answer in a future posting.John Dzurkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05476815620375683273noreply@blogger.com15