I’ve been relaxing on a cruise through the Hawaiian Islands. 

I’ve been offline for a while . . . The beautiful scenery is free (pics coming soon), but the internet is not. I’ll write more when I get back next week.

Peace and Aloha!

Rob

I can see:
the 6,000 patriots who died in the Revolutionary War in our first struggle for independence.
the 500,000 who perished in the Civil War who fought and died in defense of liberty.

I can see the Star spangled banner as it was hoisted in a dramatic expression of pride by brave American soldiers at Iwo Jima .

I see the 116,000 Americans who fell in WWI and the 405,000 who perished in World War II.
the more than 54,000 who lost their lives in the Korean Conflict
and the 58,000 soldiers who died in the jungles of Vietnam.

I see the 293 Americans killed in Desert Storm
the 1,672 Americans who lost their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom
and the 190 killed in Enduring Freedom

I remember each soldier who paid the ultimate price for our nation. Though they died; they were not defeated for the Stars and stripes continues to wave. They rest in peace while we enjoy the freedom they secured for us.

Spread knowledge, not disease.

Check out these important links for the latest

http://healthmap.org/en

www.who.org

www.cdc.gov

Hero: one who trades himself for the safety of others.

Courage: one who escapes four armed guards in a dingy in

the middle of the ocean.

The Maersk Alabama captain, Richard Phillips, our hero!

 

 

American sea Captain Richard Phillips was rescued Sunday from Somali pirates. Phillipswho had been held hostage for three days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa.

Three of the pirates were killed and one was arrested after a volley of gunfire in which Phillips escaped and was immediately rescued by the US Navy.

Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vt., was transported to the USS Bainbridge nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

 Dr. Bill Moran – a man I’m proud to have called my friend and mentor

 
“Bill Moran was a highly professional person both publicly and in private,” said Dr. Daniel Ball President of Lander University. “He carried himself with dignity and grace.”  He added, “I hope I can be as good of a steward of this university as Dr. Moran was.” 

Dr. Samrendra Singh, who served as Vice President for Academic Affairs under Dr. Moran, said “Dr. Moran was always an inspiration to me. He was also an ideal role model, both professionally and personally. He was an immense source of inspiration to many of us due to his intellect, regimented work ethic, tireless devotion to the cause of higher education, and devotion to education in general. Above all, it was due to his honestly, congeniality and humor that we drew closer to him. I will always remember him for the advice he gave us “put family first”. Honestly, a devoted father and husband he was.”   

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekFmwMvZfGE]

Singh continued, “I had the privilege of working with him very closely at Lander University and then at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates. Bill founded the Commission of Academic Accreditation to ensure that this little but ambitious country can offer higher education of highest quality. It was due to his honest devotion to the cause of higher education he took on this mission to the U.A.E. Bill wanted U.A.E. to become a model for those moderate Arab nations that are aspiring for the highest quality of education. It is due to his emphasis on a refined version of the “American model” of education today we see numerous colleges and universities in the moderate Arab world that are aspiring to offer education of highest quality by employing the word “American” in their names. It helps them to identify themselves to their constituents as institutions offering highest standard of education. In brief, Bill Moran was a committed and an effective ambassador of higher education that offers promising opportunities to the emerging moderate nations of the Arab world.”

Chief of Lander University Police Ray Manley stated, “Simply put, he was a great man ever ready to help out.”

Vice President for University Advancement Eleanor Teal called Dr. Moran a gentle giant. “He will be sorely missed,” she said.

Remembering Dr. William Moran by members of the Lander University community

“I remember President William Moran as a beacon of kindness, integrity, and one who trusted the faculty to give him consultative input,” said dean of the college of arts and humanities Alan MacTaggart. “It was under his administration that the Faculty Senate was first established. “ MacTaggart continued, “His son, Kevin and I were great friends.  Kevin was a volunteer assistant in the Ceramics Lab and contributed much to the art students and brought cheer to all who knew him.  I will miss Bill Moran, a brilliant and gentle scholar not being among us.”

“One thing that has always stuck out in my mind is from the first time I met him,” began Ben Vanadore Lander alum(2002). “During freshman expo they used to do a drawing of students’ names to eat dinner with Dr. Moran on the last evening of expo. When they were drawing names I had this certainty that my name would be called and if by some sort of providence it was. So one of my first Lander experiences was sitting with Lander’s president and a small group of students having an almost one on one conversation and hearing his thoughts and having him listen to ours.” Vanadore continued, “He was one of those people you could tell he was of good character by just being around him. There were several other things. His yearly visit to Baptist College Ministries was always a highlight of the year.”

“We cannot afford to lose any gentlemen.” said Lander librarian Susan Going. “And Bill Moran was the epitome of a gentleman. She added “and a gentle man. He was always very polite and kind. Both Margaret and Bill Moran made Lander feel like a big family.”  Going said she remembers telling Dr. Moran often that he must have cloned himself. “There were few if any activities that he missed – from athletics to musical and theatrical productions to lectures from guest speakers.”  She smiled and added, “He never met a stranger. He greeted every faculty, student, and staff member by name.” 

Going’s son Michael Going, a current student at Lander (and pictured above right as a child with Dr. Moran) said, “I was not a student at Lander University when Dr. Moran was the president; however, I was privileged with the opportunity to get to know him. As a young child, I would often sit with Dr. Moran at basketball games, and we began to speak with one another quite frequently. This kindness was openly offered to all students, faculty, and community members. It was difficult, even at such a young age, not to appreciate his charisma and everlasting presence. Even though he has not been the president at Lander for nearly a decade, it is difficult to think of Lander without thinking of him. I am saddened by the news of his death, but I will always remember him as the friend and mentor that he has been for me and many others.”

“I was very sad to hear that Dr. Moran had died,” began Assistant professor of Mass Communications and theatre Laura Hester.  “We all worked closely with him in University Relations and I have a lot of great memories of attending events with him and Mrs. Moran and (their son) Kevin.” She added, “As Randy Bouknight and Eleanor Teal said in today’s Index-Journal article, he was always on the sidelines of athletic events, always in the audiences of fine arts events and always out interacting with the Lander and Greenwood communities. I remember loading into vans for alumni events with Dr. Moran entertaining everyone with corny jokes. He was an intellectual who wasn’t afraid to laugh, even at himself. “

“It was 1996, began Scott Smith, Lander University collegiate minister,

 “and my wife Judy had sustained critical injuries in an auto accident. She was in the hospital in Greenville in Intensive Care.  It was late in the afternoon and we had been waiting for the doctor to come and update our family about Judy’s prognosis.  I looked up and there coming down the hallway was Dr. Moran and all of the Lander Vice Presidents.  Dr. Moran had brought each of them with him to Greenville to visit with us.  This made an impression on me that I will never forget.  Here was a busy Lander University President had taken time to come with his staff to visit.” 

Scott continued, “I will never forget Dr. Moran conducting a graduation service in December while having vision problems.  He took Clara (his administrative assistant) over to the arena to memorize the whole service so that he wouldn’t let the graduates down.  I didn’t even find this out until the next week when I went over to visit him.  I was amazed to find out that he hadn’t told anyone.  He was so concerned that everything went right that he spent a whole day making sure the graduating seniors would have a memorable day.

Dr. Moran was so loved by students that when it was announced that he was retiring a group of students came to me and asked about having a party.  Students came together and planned a party and purchased a gift. Dr. Moran was well loved by his students.

Dr. Moran could walk around campus and call many students by their first name.  He and Margaret would host many dinners for student groups in his home. Each year, I had the privilege of attending a dinner at his house with students that were religious leaders on the Lander campus.  The dinner was always a highlight for me because it was filled with great food, laughter and wonderful stories.

On occasion, Dr. Moran would be asked by different churches to speak on Sundays.  He would call my office and we would talk about his sermon or “talk” as he would call it.  He always wanted to make sure that he was sharing something that would be appropriate for the churches.  He would always laugh and say that it was fun for a Catholic University President to call to ask advice from his Baptist Minister.

I have such warm incredible memories of Bill, Margaret and Kevin Moran.  During his tenure here as President, he made Lander University a better place.  He was quick to give other people praise and he never sought recognition for himself.  There are many Lander graduates that will be finding out about the death of Bill Moran and there will be sadness, but, we will all know that our lives are richer because of our pathways crossing with his.”

March 7, 1965 was bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama.

On February 18, 1965, an Alabama State Trooper, Corporal James Bonard Fowler, shot Jimmie Lee Jackson as he tried to protect his mother and grandfather in a café to which they had fled while being attacked by troopers during a nighttime civil rights demonstration in Marion, county seat of Perry County. Jackson died eight days later, of an infection resulting from the gunshot wound, at Selma’s Good Samaritan Hospital.

In response, James Bevel (Director of Direct Action and Nonviolent Education) called for a march from Selma-to-Montgomery, which occurred on March 7, 1965 when 525 to 600 civil rights marchers headed east out of Selma on U.S. Highway 80.

The March to Montgomery had a significant impact on public opinion. Within five months of the third march, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on August 6th at a ceremony attended by many civil rights leaders and activists, including Amelia Boynton of Selma. This act prohibited most of the unfair practices used to prevent blacks from registering to vote, and provided for federal registrars to go to Alabama and other states with a history of voting-related discrimination to ensure that the law was implemented. In 1960, there were only 53,336 black voters in Alabama, by 1990 this number had risen to 537,285. In Selma, with more than 7,000 blacks added to the voting rolls Sheriff Jim Clark was voted out of office in 1966 (he later served a prison sentence for drug-smuggling). (MORE)

In March 18 yrs later U2 released Sunday Bloody Sunday about another Bloody Sunday.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs]

 Give Peace a Chance!

While I was lead to believe these are true, I have no proof.

My favorite is #5

1 – First Important Lesson – Cleaning Lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’ Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50’s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

‘Absolutely, ‘ said the professor. ‘In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.’

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2 – Second Important Lesson – Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960’s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.

It read: ‘Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away…God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.’

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole

3 – Third Important Lesson – Always Remember Those Who Serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

‘How much is an ice cream sundae?’ he asked. ‘Fifty cents,’ replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.  

‘Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?’ he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

‘ Thirty-five cents,’ she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

‘I’ll have the plain ice cream,’ he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies…

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 – Fourth Important Lesson – The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating th at the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 – Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, ‘Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.’ As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, ‘Will I start to die right away’.

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

NO SPLINTERS

OR RECOUNTS

OR POLKAS

Rob’s Megaphone’s polls

The best kind of polls.

What do you fear most?

What makes you the most happy?

In case you forgot me, I thought I should include a picture

OMG. I still have visitors. 

I have to admit I dreaded checking my stats. I went from 2 posts per day for five months to 2 posts per week for a few months to one post in the past  2 months.

I missed ya’ll.

I had a little surgery, and I’m recuperating – slow but steady. I will try to post a couple time a week for now. I can’t wait to visit all your blogs and read what’s been going on. If you get a minute let me know how you’re doing.

My friend and colleague Paul (over at the very excellent Paul’s World Of Funky Stuff) gave me a shock the other day. He was doing a podcast workshop for a group of faculty and students for me, and the talk rolled around to how to market yourself, and he gave me an awesome shout out. He said: Ask Dr. Rob, He hasn’t posted for 2 months, and he’s still getting lots of visitors.

I took a peak, and I was stoked (I think this is the first time I used that word). I feel like I threw a party and had to step out for a couple months. When I came back the party was still rock’n. Pass the dip, please.

Happy New Year!