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ONE WORLD BLUE

Szekely People of Transylvania

Szekely People of Transylvania

 

Seeing as I am a Hungarian from Transylvania, I have to make my first “Light of Culture” about the Szekely people of Transylvania. I don’t exactly know if I have Szekely blood in me or not, but while growing up, I was often referred to as “egy szep Szekely fiu” (translation “a nice Szekely boy”). But Hungarians living in Transylvania are fairly often refereed to as Szekely by Hungarians living in Hungary, even if they aren’t.

In case you’re wondering about the current national location of Transylvania, it’s the biggest part of Romania, the North West section, from the Carpathian mountains to the borders of Hungary. Think of Transylvania kind of like Sicily. These states both have a strong ethnic heritage, they’re both valuable land, and both have been their own state, and part of other nations. Transylvania has very rich farming soil and is also rich in gold and has oil. It has been home to Attila the Hun and Vlad Tepes, aka Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula. If you’ve ever been to the Carpathian mountains, they are very steep, very beautiful and have (at least to me) a very creepy vibe about them, I even felt a this vibe when I traveled through there as a child and had no idea of the bloody history of the region.

Getting back to the Szekelys. There are about 1.5 million Hungarians living in today’s Romania, and most of them in Transylvania. Roughly about half of them are Szekely. The Szekelys are kind of a “sub-culture” in the Hungarian population. They seemed to appear sometime during the 12th century and according to their own folklore, they are direct descendents of the Huns. However, to the best of my knowledge no one has yet proven this to be true. But like the Huns, they have always been excellent horsemen, and even served the Hungarian Empire as light cavalry. They were very effective against nomad invaders from the East, and at least a number of times played major roles in thwarting Turkish invasions. Like the Huns, they attacked on horseback, struck quickly and disappeared before the enemy knew what hit them. There’ve been a number of times through out history were they pushed for a nation of their own, but always found themselves to be a minority, and were always denied.

Since my parents were both Hungarians who grew up in separate Hungarian villages in Transylvania (my mother in Szik and my father in Korispatak), I was raised with their values, which of course included going to a Hungarian school, and learning Hungarian dancing and music. Because of the fact that my parents were both in the symphony, I started my music career at a young age by learning the masters, Kodaly, Bartok and Liszt. Though Liszt came later. I also learned about Hungarian Gypsy and Szekely music. My mother was the folk singer in the family (besides the 2nd viola 1st chair in the Nagyvarad or Oradea in its Romanian name, orchestra), and she often sang Hungarian folk songs, again… including Gypsy and Szekely ones. Here’s an example of traditional SZekely music:

Though I don’t remember much about my dancing days (they didn’t last long before we left Romania to escape Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime) I did enjoy it. The pictures are of me, and the other with my dance partner, Marika.

Attila little dancer 02.jpg

 

Unfortunately I don’t have any video of myself dancing, but I did find this interesting video of Szekely dancing being used to help explain how to sort algorithms. I’m posting this because I noticed that the video was created by a university professor in the city of my birth, Marosvasarhely, or in its Romanian name Tirgu-Mures.

 

I hated having to learn all of these “traditional” things in my youth. All I wanted was to be like the cool neighborhood kids, and play soccer. I even found myself resenting my parents for forcing me to learn these “stupid things which didn’t matter in today’s world”, but you know what? I’m happy they forced it on me. I know my heritage… or at least the roots. I know where I come from, and it’s helped me better understand who I am, and knowing that gave me a huge advantage in life, when trying to figure out where I’m going.

Story by: Attila Domos

 

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Bryan McCormick

Bryan McCormick.jpg

 

Bryan McCormick is a 32-year old T8 complete paraplegic who lives in Pittsburgh, PA. At 6 feet 8 inches tall, he is a pretty unusual sight. One doesn’t come across too many people in a wheelchair, who are tall enough to play in the NBA. With his size, he could be a menacing figure, but McCormick is anything but! He is much more of a gentle giant with a great sense of humor.

“Being my size definitely comes with pros and cons,” says McCormick. “The pros are that I can reach things on high shelves, and see better in a crowd. As far as cons… I have a difficult time fitting under normal tables, and finding pants that fit. I have to special order pants online, at places like St. John’s Bey and Big & Tall stores.”

McCormick grew up an only child, who became paralyzed in 2001 from a skiing accident.

“I was skiing at Hidden Valley (a Pennsylvania resort) when I over shot the landing ramp, and landed on my back.”

When asked how he responded to the news of his permanent paralysis, he said “I’ve always been a pretty easy going guy, and took things as they came along. I probably get it from my parents. I was instilled with those qualities. We’ve always been very close.”

He also credits his upbeat attitude to all the sports he played growing up. Some of which include soccer, football and horseback riding.

HORSEBACK RIDING, at 6’8″? “Well… I did that when I was young” he said with a chuckle.

Keeping with the tradition of those who were athletic before their accident, Bryan is just as active since, if not more so. Even though it was the cause of his paralysis, skiing is still his first love, but he also hand-cycles, and more recently got involved with kayaking at the Three Rivers Rowing Association, through the mentoring program at Mercy hospital.

“Just this summer I was able to get on the water and compete in Philadelphia.” McCormick went on… “They have a weight room with rowing machines, which allow you to get a great workout. The fee is only $90 annually, and it’s on Washington’s Landing, under the 31st Street Bridge.”

About 4 years ago, McCormick became one of the mentors of the Spinal Cord Injury Support Group at Mercy hospital (in Pittsburgh, PA) – aka Peer Mentoring Group at Mercy. He credits Patty Mikosky with getting him involved. “It (the support group) really has the potential to change someone’s life. The group can change someone’s perspective of his/her injury.”

The support group meets twice a month at Mercy Hospital, where Bryan and a few fellow mentors talk with “wheelchair newbies”, and share some of their experiences. But the group isn’t just for those in a wheelchair.

“It’s a great place for spouses, parents and other loved ones to learn what type of things they can expect after a life altering injury.”

So… how has paralysis changed McCormick’s life?

“It’s definitely a challenge. But… overall it had a positive affect on my life. Prior to my injury I wasn’t very focused on life. After my injury I decided that I’m going to take the opportunity to do everything I wanted to do, because you never know what life brings. So … I went online and learned how to play the guitar. Even took some music theory classes at Pitt (Greensburg). I love classic rock… Phish, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Sabbath… pretty much all the big guitar-bands.”

While he’s still only 32 years of age, one can see how McCormick’s smile and attitude can be contagious. Anyone who sits and talks with him even for a few minutes, will almost immediately be inspired to be and do better. While no one wishes spinal cord injury on anyone, the community is better off having Bryan McCormick as one of its representatives.

For anyone who’d like to join the Peer Mentoring Group at Mercy, the Facebook link is provided below. Bryan and the gang welcome all comers with open arms. In his words… “You never know who is inspired by whose story.”

Like they say in street slang… “Tru dat Bryan… tru dat!”

Story by Attila Domos

https://www.facebook.com/groups/105644686138553/

 

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Brenda Vance

Brenda Vance athlete photo.jpg

 

ONE TOUGH MUDDER

Brenda Vance was the typical American kid growing up in Illinois. In her youth she played and enjoyed sports, then as she got into her teen years she found herself doing more drinking, partying, eating lots of junk food, well… basically behaved like a typical rebellious teen. By the time she was 18, she gave birth to her son, and went on about her life as a single mom.

Fast forward to 2011. While watching TV, the now more mature 28-year old Brenda Vance came across a Fitness America competition, which ignited some kind of a spark in her.

“I saw this competition, and decided that I want to be like that.” said the 31 year old full-time student with a masters in holistic nutrition. She then went on a mission.

“I found a trainer with whom I worked very hard, for four months. We got my body fat from 25% down to 10%, and I competed in my first Figure Competition, where I placed second.”

What’s a “Figure Competition” you ask? It’s like a bodybuilding competition, but maintains a focus on still looking feminine.

“In fact, I entered three of them” she went on, “and finished 2nd in all three.”

One would think that’s pretty darned good, an most would be perfectly happy and proud with that excellent accomplishment, but not Brenda. Her next challenge was to enter Tough Mudder.

She did well enough to qualify World’s Toughest Mudder, a brutal competition that has challengers running and doing an obstacle course for 24 hours. This is where Brenda learned a very valuable lesson. – “I was unprepared. I did this coming off training for the Figure Competitions, where the concept is all different. Those were about low body fat, so while I looked very fit, my body started to shut down and eventually the judges forced me to stop.”

In 2012, through the ACE (American Council on Exercise), Brenda was certified as a personal trainer.

“That was exciting, but as I did an insurance company blood test, the results showed a potential problem with my kidneys, most likely due to the very high protein diet I was on. So, I changed my eating habits, and adopted a straight vegan diet.”

Things seemed to be moving along just fine, until Brenda collapsed in 2013. “My body completely shut down on me from a lack of nutrients and over training. I went through 2 weeks of anxiety, fear, confusion… I had no idea what was going on. I was eating right, taking my supplements, thought I was doing everything right, and my body still shut down.”

During her recovery, she did a lot of research, and decided to study at IIN (Institute of Integrated Nutrition), where Brenda earned a health coaching certificate and at about the same time she enrolled at the College of Natural Health, where she earned her masters of holistic nutrition.

In 2014, Brenda enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where she’s working on her bachelors in sports nutrition, and looks to eventually earn a masters in that as well.

Today, when not making hard-core workout videos for viewers of YouTube, videos referred to as “Immortal Stair Training” , Brenda is the owner of B Crazy Fit studio, and she in-home and on-line training. But ask her and she’ll tell you… “Nutrition is my favorite. I love the inner workings of the human body, and all of the little things that go into making it work just right. I Switched to an 80/10/10 diet (80% carbs, 10% fat & 10% protein), and I’ve never felt more healthy and full of energy.”

Do not let the fact that she’s a woman fool you. Brenda’s workouts are very demanding. When asked about how men react to her training methods, she laughingly said “They hate me (during the workouts). They yell all sorts of obscenities at me, but in the end they love me because they see results.”

So, what’s Brenda’s mission in life?

“To help others live healthy, so they can do the things they want to, with out physical limitations. To help them achieve a mind, body and soul connection.”

All of these life altering and empowering changes, from one televised event. TV is often referred to as the “idiot box”, but for Brenda Vance… it helped to change her into the inspiring woman, that this once rebellious teen-aged girl has become.

Story by: Attila Domos

Visit Brenda’s website: http://www.b-naturallyzen.com/my-approach-brenda-vance

Follow Brenda at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.vance.16

 

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Mel Brooks

 

While he doesn’t know it, and in fact… he doesn’t even know I exist, Mel Brooks’ comedy got me through one of the darkest times of my life, and for that I can’t thank him enough.

I had a falling accident in September of 1993, that left me paralyzed from the waist down. While it’s not in my nature to wallow in self pity, when finding out that I will never walk again did have me in the gutter, emotionally. I’m not sure if it was because of all the drugs the doctors had me on, having my life completely flipped upside down (just as things were seemingly coming together), or a combination of both, but I found myself depressed and wondering about my future.

The unknown can always be a scary thing, especially at age 25, when most people are just starting to take jabs and body blows from life. Here I was, feeling like I took a knock out punch in the first round. Dazed and confused I desperately wanted to get back on my feet, back to my old life, but no matter how hard I worked and physically trained, that wasn’t going to happen. You see… recovery from paralysis is like a crap-shoot. There’s no such thing as “I worked really hard and made a recovery from my paralyzing accident.” No… the media is the worst disseminator of this false information. Only one thing determines if you can recover from a paralyzing accident. Either the damage is serious, or it’s not.

The days in rehab weren’t so bad, because we were kept busy with the different therapies. The nights though… that’s where things could get lonely. That’s when your mind became your worst enemy. To help combat this, I had my brother record two songs for me, and I listened to them over and over. These songs always made me laugh, and reminded me not only of happy times, but (to quote every coach in existence) that “it is what it is”. Yes… Life is, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Listening to these songs over and over when I felt depressed, got me through some of the dark nights.

What were the two songs, you ask? They were both from movies. The first was “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” (Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”) and the other was “The Spanish Inquisition” (Mel Brooks’ “History of the Word Part 1”).

We all heard the saying… “laughter is the best medicine”? I’m here as proof that if you can laugh at yourself, you can get through anything. Thank you Mel for using your sense of humor and comic genius to bring joy and laughter to a world in desperate need for more of it.

With that… here’s a spotlight about one of my favorite comic geniuses… Mel Brooks.

(The below information is from Wikipedia)

Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky, June 28, 1926) is an American film director, screenwriter, comedian, actor, producer, composer and songwriter. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a comic and a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows. He became well known as part of the comedy duo with Carl Reiner, The 2000 Year Old Man. In middle age he became one of the most successful film directors of the 1970s, with many of his films being among the top ten money makers of the year that they were released. His best known films include The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. More recently, he had a smash hit on Broadway with the musical adaptation of his first film, The Producers. He was married to the actress Anne Bancroft from 1964 until her death in 2005.

Brooks is on the short list of entertainers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award. He received the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award in June 2013. Three of his films ranked in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 comedy films of all-time, all of which ranked in the top 20 of the list: Blazing Saddles at number 6, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.

By: Attila Domos

(Editor’s note: Even though this particular article spotlight’s the one and only comic genius that is Mel Brooks, I’ve also decided to add Monty Python’s clip from “The Life of Brian”. These were 2 among my favorite comedies, and always put a smile on my face. Enjoy them for what they are… comedy.)

Mel’s personal website: http://www.melbrooks.com/

 

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Heron of Alexandria

Heron of Alexandria.jpg

 

Heron of Alexandria, also called Hero (flourished c. ad 62, Alexandria, Egypt), Greek geometer and inventor whose writings preserved for posterity a knowledge of the mathematics and engineering of Babylonia, ancient Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world.

(source: britannica.com)

It is almost certain that Hero taught at the Museum which included the famous Library of Alexandria, because most of his writings appear as lecture notes for courses in mathematics, mechanics, physics, and pneumatics. Although the field was not formalized until the twentieth century, it is thought that the work of Hero, his automated devices in particular, represents some of the first formal research into cybernetics.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Heron was a brilliant man, well ahead of his time. He was Da Vinci, way before Leonardo Da Vinci. He’s a bit of a mystery, in the way of Nikola Tesla, but not due to his being an introvert, but because he lived so long ago that many of his inventions were lost to time, war, fire and other disasters which destroy great creations.

While he first was a brilliant mathematician, many of his inventions must have seemed like magic, to the commoners of the time. He worked primarily with air, steam, water pressure, ropes, levers and pulleys, but the magic he created was absolute genius. It wasn’t long before two groups came calling for Heron’s work. One was the Roman military, and the other, the Greek church.

For the military, he created war machines, like the early form of the modern Gatling gun, which gave the Romans a huge military advantage. However, for the flailing Greek church, he created magic.

Many Greeks have turned away from the notion of gods, and membership size had dwindled through out the Greek states. But once Heron got to working his “magic”, the people turned back in droves. Some of his magic creations were the weeping statue, the large floating statue of Helios and the automatic doors to Athena’s temple. But, there were many more.

A wind-wheel operating a pipe organ—the first instance of wind powering a machine.

The first automatic vending machine. When a coin was introduced through a slot on the top of the machine, a set amount of holy water was dispensed. When the coin was deposited, it fell upon a pan attached to a lever. The lever opened up a valve which let some water flow out. The pan continued to tilt with the weight of the coin until the coin fell off, at which point a counter-weight would snap the lever back up and turn off the valve.

Mechanisms for the Greek theater, including an entirely mechanical puppet play almost ten minutes in length, powered by a binary-like system of ropes, knots, and simple machines operated by a rotating cylindrical cogwheel. The sound of thunder was produced by the mechanically-timed dropping of metal balls onto a hidden drum.

(Source: historyofinformation.com)

What very few people know, thanks to the omission of important facts from our history books, is that Heron was the first inventor of the steam engine, a steam powered device that was called aeolipile or the ‘Heron engine’. The name comes from the Greek word ‘Aiolos’ who was the Greek God of the winds.

Although a few others have talked about devices similar to aeolipiles before Heron, Heron was the first one to describe them in detail and give instructions for manufacturing them in his book Pneumatica, where more than 78 devices are described. Many of Heron’s ideas were extensions and improvements of another Greek inventor who lived in Alexandria 300 years before him, known as Ktesibios, the first to write about the science of compressed air.

Hero’s works include descriptions of machines working on air, steam or water pressure, architectural devices for lifting heavy objects, methods of calculating surfaces and volumes – including a method of calculating the square root, war machines, and manipulation of light using reflection and mirrors.

(Source: ancient-origins.net)

Unfortunately man-kind wasn’t ready for some of his creations, and they were reinvented a thousand or more years later. Imagine for a moment, if the “Heron Engine” would have been taken seriously? Picture a world where the Roman war machine could have crossed the Oceans thanks to their steam powered ships, or moved their troops from place to place much faster, using a train? Like with all inventions, no matter how great the idea and creation, it will only be used in the practical world when financial visionaries come along and want to change the world… for better or worse.

By: Attila Domos

 

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BASS REEVES… THE REAL “LONE RANGER”?

BassReeves.jpg

BASS REEVES… THE REAL “LONE RANGER”?

I’m sure you are familiar with the legend of the Lone Ranger, his sidekick “Tonto”, and his horse “Silver”, but what if I told you that the Lone Ranger you know, was created from, and based on a man by the name of Bass Reeves, a true life Deputy U.S. Marshall in Arkansas and the Indian Territory?

What if I told you, that said deputy was a free black man, who headed West, to escape the racist structure of the established Eastern and Southern states?

The fact that I never learned about Bass Reeves in any of my many history classes doesn’t surprise me. The longer I live, the more I’ve come to learn that most of the things we’ve been taught in our dozen or so years of schooling are lies, half truths, and misrepresentations of historical facts.

For example… we’ve all been taught that Benedict Arnold was a traitor to our founding fathers, but we’ve never been told why. When you take the time to research what really happened, it’s much easier to understand why he made the choice to go against his fellow colonists, and side with the ruling British crown. But… Arnold is a topic for another day. Let’s keep our focus on this very remarkable man, Bass Reeves, who… while having died and buried a hero, was quietly left out from our school system’s history books.

This is probably the shortest “Spotlight” I’ve written, to date, but it’s by design. I don’t want to give away all of the goodies of this story. Micah Naziri’s article did a fine job explaining the details. It’s a short read, but very informative an well put together.

Click on the link below for Naziri’s article. In it you can find a list of books that have been written and published about Bass Reeves over the years, Since his death in 1910. I also attached a short YouTube video. Enjoy!

Written by: Attila Domos

Bass Reeves (July 1838 – 12 January 1910), one of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, arrested over 3,000 felons and shot and killed fourteen outlaws in self-defense. (Wikipedia)

http://politicalblindspot.com/the-real-lone-ranger-was-an-african-american-lawman-who-lived-with-native-american-indians/

 

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Meet Gabriel McNeal

 

Meet Gabriel McNeal… a pleasant, seemingly “happy go lucky” fellow, with a nice smile and out going personality. A young man who could have taken the “easy way” in life, and cashed in on his basketball talents overseas, in a few different countries, among them Germany. He could have been just another professional athlete, making money by doing what he’s physically born to do, but this 24-year old chose a different path.

“I realized that my life was bigger than the basketball court,” said McNeal. “I want to be remembered as a person who inspired others.”

As things stand today, he will graduate in December from Point Park University (in Downtown Pittsburgh, PA) with a bachelor’s degree in communications. But… what’s his game plan? What tugged at him hard enough to pull him away from the game he loves? Perhaps having a beautiful 4-year old daughter who lives in Texas had something to do with it. Becoming a father can change a man… can often give him a different perspective.

McNeal was born in Richmond, Virginia, and never really knew his mother, who has been in and out of prison his entire life. So, he was raised by his aunt and grandmother. Even though his father was also fairly translucent, and he too was incarcerated a few years ago, in the time he did spend with his son, he left a positive influence on young Gabriel.

“I love my father. He instilled in me a strong reading foundation. This eventually inspired me to create my foundation.” McNeal explained.

So… how did this kid from Richmond end up at Point Park University, in Pittsburgh?

He spent his freshman year of college at Cecil Community College, in Maryland, where he made “All tournament Team”, by averaging 13 pts and 4 assists per game. They also won the Maryland “Juco Tournament”, where the team made it to the nationals in Illinois and was ranked #10 in the nation.

His outstanding play at Cecil earned him a scholarship to Shaw University, in Raleigh, North Carolina (NCAA-2). “This wasn’t a good fit for me,” proclaimed McNeal… “not academically, and not socially.”

So, the following year, he transferred to Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he continued with basketball, but there he also excelled academically. Being happy and in an environment that allowed him to be able to focus on his studies, he started putting together his ideas for his “Go Pro in the Game of Life Foundation”.

“I created this foundation to inspire the youth to be greater than they think they can be.” McNeal went on to say, “I can relate to them and they can relate to me. I’ve been there, I’ve lived through much of what they’re living with, now… and I want to help them to understand what my father taught me. The importance of learning to read, so they can make good life choices. Don’t just become another statistic.”

As of now, McNeal has partnered with 6 low income elementary middle schools in Pittsburgh, where he works his program once a month. His goal is to grow the foundation to the point where this grows city, state and perhaps even nation wide.

“Kids need to understand that they are in charge of their destiny, but to maximize their result, they need to know how to think, and learning to read will allow them to do just that.”

He also has 3 legs to help kids achieve success.

T.E.A.M.H.O.O.P. (Together Everyone Achieves More Helping Others Overcome Pressure)
Our program develops relationships with local inner-city elementary schools with low-performing reading scores; we have our student-athletes perform story-time reading. The student-athletes will act as role models for the young kids and will look to set a good example for academic success. While this program is emotionally fulfilling for the mentors, it will also provide a valuable opportunity for service that will look exemplary on any résumé.

Kool Kat in the Hat Man Entertainment
The Kool Kat in the Hat Man will perform the following three motivational reading songs: “I Will Succeed, I Believe, I Read,” “The Reading Motivator,” and “The Best Rapper In The World.” The songs are a fun way to get kids motivated to read.

Founder and President Public Speaking Message
President and founder Gabriel McNeal will share his testimony with the children and explain how his reading background helped him progress through elementary school, high school and now college. He will go over the importance of setting goals, making the right choices and devising a game plan for life. The talks will stress that these steps are especially important for those children facing difficult circumstances outside of school.

For now, McNeal has been paying for these programs out of his own pocket, but he’s looking for investors, donors, and any available grants. If you have any new or even used books you wish to donate to the Go Pro in the Game of Life Foundation, for now there are two (2) “drop-off zones”.

“Basketball is still a big part of my life, but we all can’t go pro in sports, so I want to help kids figure out what THEIR game-plan in life is. My motto ‘Game plan for Life’ is my belief that every child with a solid reading background can achieve success in life, even when facing challenging circumstances.”

That is a very positive attitude from a young man who’s seen his share of hardship.

Story by: Attila Domos

For more information about Go Pro in the Game of Life Foundation, an/or to get involved, please visit the website: www.goprointhegameoflife.org

 

 

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OPENING MINDS ONE SHOW AT A TIME

OPENING MINDS ONE SHOW AT A TIME

BY Attila Domos

 

I remember the first time I listened to Coast to Cost AM, a 4 four hour late-night syndicated radio show. It blew my mind! I “never thought talk radio could be this exciting”! At the time the show’s host was still the original Art Bell, but Art was on his way to retirement and George Noory became the regular weekday host. The show’s topics range from government cover-ups, UFOs, ghosts and anything paranormal, and helps to open your mind to other ways of thinking. Coast to Coast AM was literally the first radio show I came across which could actually raise a person’s IQ.

Up to then, every radio talk-show I ever heard was pretty much either sports or politics. But not this show! And the best part is that no matter how “crazy” the topic, they always managed to have on experts, who had inside knowledge of the show’s topic. To me, George Noory WAS Coast to Coast AM. But who is this man?

He was born George Ralph Noory, on June 4th (same day as my mother) of 1950.

The portion below is from Wikipedia

Noory grew up in Detroit with two younger sisters, the son of a Lebanese Egyptian who worked at Ford Motor Company and a Lebanese American mother. He became interested with the paranormal and ufology as a child and joined the UFO organization NICAP as a teenager. He attended the University of Detroit, spending two years in the pre-dental program before switching his major to Communications. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1972. Noory served nine years in the United States Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant.

He began his radio career as a newscaster with Detroit station WCAR-AM. From 1974–1978 he worked as a news producer and executive news producer at WJBK-TV in Detroit. He would later serve as news director for KMSP-TV in Minneapolis and as news director at KSDK-TV in St. Louis. He won three local Emmy Awards for his work in TV news.

In St. Louis, Noory formed Norcom Entertainment, Inc., a company that developed and marketed video training films to law enforcement and security agencies. In 1987, Noory and his partners in Norcom Restaurants, Inc. opened the Café Marrakesh and Oasis Bar in Brentwood, Missouri. The restaurant’s theme revolved around a fictional English soldier, Col. William Berry, who opened the establishment following an exciting secret mission to Marrakesh.

In 1996, Noory hosted a late-night radio program called Nighthawk on KTRS in St. Louis, which caught the attention of executives at Premiere Radio Networks, syndicators of Coast to Coast AM. In April of 2001, Noory became a guest host for Coast to Coast AM before replacing Ian Punnett as the Sunday night host. In January 2003, following Bell’s retirement, Noory took over as weeknight host of Coast to Coast AM.

End of Wikipedia

I owe much to my way of critical thinking, to George and Coast to Coast AM. Although in the past few years I haven’t been able to be a regular listener, the show has touched my life on many levels. I hope for a future where more folks listen to talk shows like this, and fewer political nonsense and gibberish. The world needs more George Noorys and fewer flavor of the month teen pop-stars.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

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Bruce Lee

1972 — American Actor Bruce Lee — Image by © Cat’s Collection/Corbis

Mention the name BRUCE LEE, and images of Kung-Fu on the silver screen come to mind. However, Bruce was much more than an action film star ahead of his time. He was a husband, father, philosopher, actor, film maker, excellent dancer, teacher, marshal arts innovator aka founder of Jeet Kune Do, a fitness freak, a writer of philosophy and martial arts books, and much more.

While Bruce lived most of his young life in Hong-Kong, where he was in and out of trouble, and involved in gang fights on roof tops (which was “the thing” for the young gang banger of the city, at that time), he was actually born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, to a Cantonese opera star named Lee Hoi-Chuen. In fact Bruce’s real (or Chinese) name is Lee Jun-fan. He got his English name (Bruce) by the physician at the hospital where he was born. Story goes that she (the physician) thought he “looked like a Bruce”.

When Lee turned 18, his father gave him money and a one way ticket to America, so he can pursue higher education at the University of Washington, Seattle. While attending college, Young Bruce started teaching marshal arts to anyone who wanted to learn, which did not sit well within the Chinese community. The elders felt that their way of fighting was not meant to be taught to outsiders. The Chinese have always kept a closed community, and their disagreement eventually came down to a show of fists, where Bruce prevailed. Unfortunately Lee came away from the fight temporarily paralyzed, when his opponent hit him with a dirty blow, as Bruce was walking away from a fight he had won.

Bruce had to deal with many challenges in his short life, all because he was the wrong skin color. Even though he was born in America, he was never truly seen as an equal by many of the whites he had to deal with. While he was the reason people tuned in to watch “The Green Hornet”, he was forced to wear a mask to hide his Oriental appearance. Even though Lee created the TV Show “Kung-Fu”, the lead role was given to David Carradine by the studios, because Bruce looked “too Chinese”.

One little known fact about Lee is that he was one of the first people to create liquefied meals, what we today refer to as “protein shakes”. Though, the varieties Bruce made weren’t powder with a chocolate, vanilla or strawberry flavor. No, these early versions combined things like eggs, meat and other sources of protein thrown into a blender, and blended into a liquid form. I’m fairly certain they must have tasted awful, but who could argue with their success? They worked and these quick meals were way before their time.

Another interesting little known fact is that Lee wrote poetry.

He was able to do one handed two finger push-ups. Now THAT’S SICK!

Bruce was a very generous man, who helped anyone in need. One such story was told by the great Jackie Chan. At that time, young Jackie was an extra in a movie which starred Bruce. It wasn’t unusual for extras to take some real punches and kicks from the film’s stars. After all… this is live action, and misfires happen. However, the stars rarely ever cared if they injured a lowly extra. Bruce Lee wasn’t your average film star, and when in a scene he accidentally injured Jackie, he stopped, helped Chan to his feet and made sure he was alright, before continuing with the shoot. Chan never forgot the kindness Lee showed him on that day, and it’s very likely that he walked away with a lesson in humility, which surely played a part in Chan turning into one of the most beloved action stars of our time.

*Source: Wikipedia

Unfortunately Bruce Lee died on July 20th, 1973 at the young age of 32 of a cerebral edema. He truly was a remarkable human being, who inspired people of all races and color around the world. There’s even a statue of Bruce in Bulgaria!

His famous saying was “Walk On”… in other words… what ever happens in life, just walk on. Thousands of people showed up for his funeral, from actors, actresses, athletes, other martial artists and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the 7′ 2” center of the Los Angeles Lakers, who was a student of Bruce’s.

There’s way more to this mighty mouse giant, this “dragon” than I could ever put into words, so I suggest going to the official Bruce Lee site, which is run by his daughter Shannon, and/or search his name at YouTube for many incredible videos of Bruce doing incredible things.

Story by: Attila Domos

http://www.brucelee.com/

 

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The Labors of Attila

The Labors of Attila

By Rege Behe

Attila Domos is no stranger to adversity. Nor is he afraid of setting lofty goals.
But a quest Domos plans to undertake is comparable to the mythical Labors of Hercules. Domos hopes to swim the Atlantic Ocean, pedal across Europe and Asia, kayak across the Pacific Ocean, then pedal across the US to the East Coast. It’s a daunting schedule for the fittest of athletes, but Domos will be doubly challenged: He’s paralyzed from the waist down.
“I always wanted to do something epic and do a whole lot of good for a lot of people,” Domos says, who intends to raise $100 million dollars for charity on his odyssey.
That’s not a misprint: $100 million is his goal and Domos is sure he can raise that amount in the 4-5 years it will take to circumnavigate globe. If that seems impossible, it’s nothing compared to what Domos has already accomplished in his 47 years.
In 1993, just after his band Big Bad Wolf had signed a recording contract, Domos was paralyzed from the waist down in a falling accident. He reinvented himself as para-athlete and won the 2010 Pittsburgh Marathon in the hand-cycling division. But then Domos was afflicted with a skin breakdown issue related to osteomyelitis and spent much of the next three years in bed.
Even though Domos was bed-ridden, his mind churned.
“I was laying in bed playing Wii and turned it to play golf,” he says. “I noticed the globe (on the screen) was spinning. I thought about if anyone had ever swam the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.”

 

That dream was changed to kayaking across the Pacific after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. But Domos isn’t compromising anything else. He envisions assembling a team of a dozen or so, including a captain and a first mate to man a support boat on the oceans, a couple of assistants and a nurse. When he reaches Asia he wants to cross the Hindu Kush, the Central Asian mountain range that one of his idols, Alexander the Great, traversed. He also knows he has to cross either Syria or Iraq — neither is a good choice, he admits — but Domos is undeterred by any possible obstacles.
For now, his biggest barrier is finances. Domos estimates he will need $10 million to complete his journey, and wants to avoid corporate sponsorships because “I don’t want to grovel.” Instead, he plans to seeks funding from the film industry, specifically A-list actors.
“This is more of a Hollywood business model,” Domos says. “Those people understand how to think about something like this. What I need to do is get representation and meet people who can connect the dots.”
Those dots are merely pinpricks on a map right now, places Domos wants to pass through on his journey. As a competitive racer, he trains for speed. But this is an entirely different sort of race.
“This isn’t about how fast I can go,” Domos says. “It’s how about how much money we can raise for charities.”

 

 

 

 

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF THE DISABLED

HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF THE DISABLED

By: Attila Domos

 

Sounds like the plot to a movie about World War 2 Nazis. I can’t believe that I have to write about this in the year 2015. As beautiful as our planet Earth is, she hides many dark and disturbing secrets, and unfortunately most of them have to do with immoral human behavior.

Human trafficking (modern term from slavery) is nothing new. It’s been a part of man’s history since pretty much the beginning. Due to our insecurity, fear or greed, or even all of the above, we human apes seem to feel the need to give in to these horrible weaknesses, and justify taking advantage of those who’re either born, or find themselves less fortunate through some kind of misfortune. While many of us are sickened to learn that human trafficking is still “a thing”, most of us turn a blind eye, unless it ends up directly affecting us. But the sad reality is that it still is very much “a thing”, right here, today, from the United States to China, Nigeria to Brazil, and even in many of your so called “developed nations” through out the Western world. What is so brutal about today’s slavery compared to the ones from the past?

Believe it or not, human slaves have never been cheaper. I was shocked to learn of this. Where as in the past slaves were expensive, so owners treated them well (for the most part), because of their lack of value, today’s slaves are disposable, and the disabled ones even more so.

While no country is safe from it’s citizens being abducted, taken across borders and sold into slavery, poverty levels of a country has a direct affect to the treatment of its disabled population. In some cases families will give up a child who is born with a disability, because they either can’t or won’t take on the financial burden that may come with raising a child with special needs. In other cases they may sell the child to people, who will then take said disabled child to another city or country, and force him or her to panhandle for them or do even worse.

 

      While forced begging makes up a large percentage of the exploitation the disabled face around the world, sex-trafficking is also a very deeply disturbing reality for persons with disabilities. There are more and more cases where disabled girls and young women are sold into brothels, where they fetch a high price because of their believed virginity, and are often sold to men who have HIV.

The deeper you dig, the more disturbing the stories get. There are may reports of the abuse of deaf domestic workers in the United Kingdom, addicts forced to labor in fields in the United States, people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities enslaved in Chinese kilns, and persons with developmental disabilities forced to work as peddlers on the streets of India.

Societal barriers in most countries limit the access of persons with disabilities to systems of justice. Lack of training of police, prosecutors, and judges on how to accommodate persons with disabilities (through, for example, sign language interpreters, plain language, and physical access) can leave victims with disabilities unable to provide effective statements and report the abuse they have endured. Laws expressly prohibiting people with disabilities from being witnesses, especially those who are blind, deaf, or have mental or developmental disabilities, leave such victims excluded from processes that should provide them with redress.

The International Labor Organization estimates that 2.4 million people were trafficked between 1995 and 2005. The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report reports that 12.3 million adults and children were trafficked in 2009, at a rate of 1.8 people per 1,000 worldwide. In 2007, the Trafficking in Persons Report stated that 800,000 people are trafficked across borders every year, of which about 80% are women and girls and up to 50% are children. In the U.S. State Department’s “The Facts About Child Sex Tourism: 2005” it is reported that approximately 1 million children are sexually exploited every year throughout the world.

This statistic, as are most, if not all, is broken down into specifications of age and gender, but there is no specific information as to how many of these individuals have a disability. As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disability is; “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; a record of such an impairment; or a person regarded as having such an impairment”.

Human trafficking and disabilities is a severely under addressed topic in the discussion of human slavery. There are very few reports on its incidence. In 2009, Stop Violence Against Women wrote an article called “Violence Against Women with Disabilities”. They report that children in orphanages are at a higher risk for violence. Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery – Belgium reports that gangs throughout Belgium’s major cities organize begging rings using children and individuals with disabilities, typically from Romania (Patt, 2010). Due to the lack of understanding, financial means and cultural stigmas, discussed further below, children with disabilities are a source of shame to their families.

Research indicates that violence against children with disabilities occurs at least 1.7 times greater annually than for their peers without disabilities (disabledworld). There are many reasons as to why these families give up their children, such as not having the knowledge or financial resources to care for these children. Other reasons are extensions of cultural beliefs. UNICEF reports, “social beliefs about disability include the fear that disability is associated with evil, witchcraft or infidelity, which serve to entrench the marginalization of disabled people” (2008) . As a result, these children wind up in orphanages where they are much more susceptible to violence. Women and girls with disabilities are especially vulnerable to physical and sexual violence which puts them in danger of unplanned pregnancies due to sexual exploitation.

In today’s world, where we’re over a century removed from the industrial revolution, to know that human beings are still used for slave labor, is very disturbing. To know that the same species that created such beautiful things like the works of Mozart, DaVinci, Tesla and Einstein, is the same species that will mistreat and take advantage of its disabled, should be alarming. In fact, there’s so little attention being paid to those born into these horrible situations, that I couldn’t find a video to help illustrate it’s severity. I did, however, find plenty of news articles on the subject, and attached the links to a couple. It doesn’t take much effort to find more stories, simply search Google for stories involving human trafficking, and the disabled.

I am personally going to make this one of my issues in my trip around the world, as I will shine a light on this topic, and make an attempt to enlighten man-kind. There is no reason for any human being to own another. It is out dated, barbaric and an evil practice. Let’s put an end to such shameful behavior.

For direct assistance with a potential trafficking situation please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888.

Sources for this story: “The Human Trafficking Project” and “Conspiracy of Hope: a voice for the voiceless victims of human trafficking”.

http://www.traffickingproject.org/
http://aconspiracyofhope.blogspot.com/2013/04/human-trafficking-of-mentally-and.html

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MEET PITTSBURGH MAYORAL CANDIDATE, TONY MORENO

https://youtu.be/AazBxJVLyIg

In case you don’t know, there is a Republican mayoral option, and his name is Tony Moreno, a retired Pittsburgh police detective. He’s not the big budget candidate, and doesn’t come from a long line of blue blood money, but his message is strong and his ideas to fix the many problems facing today’s Pittsburgh are solid.

I decided to do an email interview with Mr. Moreno to help introduce him to the general public. This was a fairly soft interview because the intent is just that, to introduce the opposition to the current mayor and his administration.

Anyone who’s had the pleasure of meeting Tony could quickly see that he’s a larger than life character with a genuinely kind heart. As a long time police officer he’s seen the good, bad and the ugly our city has to offer, and now that he’s retired and with his wife Patty by his side, he’s taken on his next challenge… to unite our city and help uplift the many struggling neighborhoods left behind by current Mayor Peduto.

I emailed Mayoral candidate Tony Moreno 5 questions, and here was his response:

Q) Tell us a little about your background, both career and lifestyle. Were you born in Pittsburgh, or did you move here… and if so… how did you end up in this city?

A) I was born in Stanton, California and raised in Whittier (near L A). I joined the Army when I was 17 and after several years I met my first wife and got married. After my time in the military, she wouldn’t move back to California with me and she was from Youngstown, OH where we moved to. I applied to the Pittsburgh Police department and got hired which is what brought me here.

        (I attached my bio for more detailed info on me)

Q) *How would you describe your political views/stance?

*

A) I have always been a union member in my adult life like my father, I am union first and I believe every voice matters. I believe in freedom and I do not judge how people live their lives. We are a country of laws and the constitution is our guide. I have live a-politicly because politics have no place in Law enforcement.

Q) Did you always have political ambitions? If not… what made you decide to run for mayor of Pittsburgh?

A) I have always followed politics being in the local government as an employee and having been in the United States Military we fight for all rights to include the right to vote. However, I never had any aspirations to be a politician. I had planned to retire and move to Florida but the state of affairs in the City of Pittsburgh under Bill Peduto and these career politicians is unacceptable and abusive. I cannot leave it the way it is now without trying to make it better.

Q) What do you think is the biggest problem facing our city, today?

A) Race. The racial divide, the opportunities for the minority population in Pittsburgh are structurally different than the opportunities for everyone else. These problems are generational and have spurred systemic racism. These issues aren’t racism in the way of burning crosses and donning white sheets. It is a political corruption in controlling communities for the politicians desired outcome. Shutting out minorities and preventing these citizens from reaching their full potential in our city is an abhorrent travesty.

This has led to the destruction of harmony throughout our neighborhoods causing a never-ending strife. These problems can be positively addressed with a commitment to true equity in opportunity and a dedication to the human condition. We all want the same thing. Financial freedom, mobility and ownership. These things bring families together, reduce crime and create positive growth and cohesion in our neighborhoods.

 

Q) You seem like a very approachable candidate. What’s the best way for people to get in touch with you?

A) I answer my cell phone for anyone, I have email, and the campaign has a website.

412-251-4018

realsteelmayor@gmail.com

www.realsteelmayor.com

The best way to connect with me is to talk to me in person. The written word does not convey my passion for the success of Pittsburgh as a community in concert. My fight for the community is why I am in this. I do not stand for bullies, abusers or weak leaders and that is all we have in our local political system.

Candidate for Mayor of Pittsburgh, Tony Moreno’s resume:

Tony Moreno is married to Dr. Patty Poloka who is a retired Army Major, Police Detective and Polygraph Examiner. Tony has 2 adult children and 2 grandchildren. He is also step-father to his wife’s 3 children where they currently live in their North Side home. Tony Crawford Moreno grew up in Whittier, California as the oldest of 3 children. Deceased father Joe (Jose) Louis Moreno, retired as a satellite technician at Boeing. Mother Joann Isaacs Moreno, was a travel agent and is currently an office manager in Southern California. Tony’s two siblings (Marla and Mark) still reside in California. Both mother and father were Deacons in their church providing a strong biblical foundation for Tony.
Tony volunteered enthusiastically for his youth group to provide young and old alike with faith-based ministry. He helped build housing shelters in Mexico as a youth and collected and distributed food, clothing, and medicine for the impoverished residents of Tijuana, Rosarita, and Ensenada Mexico. At the age of 16, Tony volunteered for environmental clean-up after an oil spill off the Southern California Coast.
Tony graduated from California High School in Los Angeles. During his time at “Cal High”, he participated in football, baseball, track, debate club, year book, and student council. Tony enjoyed spending time at the beach surfing, body surfing, boogie boarding, playing volleyball, skateboarding and riding his bicycle. When Tony was 17, his mother signed for him to enlist in the United States Army as an Airborne Military Police Paratrooper. He proudly served at the height of the invasion of Panama where he was deployed twice. Active duty took him to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for 3 years and Germany for 2 years. After completion of his military contract, he worked as a plumber apprentice until he attended the police academy in Ohio. He was offered employment by several Ohio Police agencies in addition to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (PBP). He chose Pittsburgh Police in 1994 where he proudly served for 24 years.
Tony worked hard and lead the city in arrests during the Federal Justice Department Consent Decree as a uniformed police officer (L.A. Times, Oct 15, 2000). He earned his way into the Narcotics Unit where, again, he led the city in arrests with the lowest complaint to arrest ratio (>1% complaints to arrests), while the Consent Decree was still in place. In the final years of his law enforcement career he volunteered to work downtown to restore a positive business climate, public safety, and enjoyable visitor experience while addressing the needs of the homeless and citizens with mental illness in the business and cultural districts. Tony gained the respect of the Cultural Trust and Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership as he met with the leaders to assist them with issues. As a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officer, he was able to recognize at-risk individuals and used necessary diversion resources as outlined in the data-driven Sequential Intercept Model (SIM). The SIM is a critical tool in CIT for the diversion of individuals from incarceration and into programs and/or mental health treatment. Tony attended all CIT supplemental courses to learn specific concerns affecting veterans, youth, and the LGBTQIA+ population, in the City of Pittsburgh to equally serve the community in the most effective and respectful way possible. Today Tony is a verbal de-escalation trainer for police officers in Allegheny County.
Tony is an animal lover and advocate. He volunteered at the East Liberty animal shelter walking dogs which were classified as aggressive to save them from being euthanized. Some of these dogs were rescued from dog fighting rings by Tony in the course of his police work. Tony enjoys hunting, fishing, and is extremely environmentally conscious.
Tony took advantage of many opportunities to learn while he was a Pittsburgh Police Officer. Outside of mandatory training, he graduated “Top Gun” (national narcotics school). Additionally, he attended “Identifying armed suspects” course, “Interview and Interrogation 1-4”, “Identifying Heavy Equipment Theft”, “Street Survival”, “Tactical Entry” school, “Tactical Communications” course, Mental Health First Aid, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, “Instructor Development”, “Field Training Officer” course, and criminal justice courses at Community College of Allegheny County. Tony shared the knowledge he obtained by teaching at the police training academy, local elementary and high schools, and as a Field Training Officer for new police officers.
Since retirement, Tony volunteered for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program by sorting produce weekly to bring health food to law enforcement in 2018. He currently volunteers quarterly at wellness fairs since 2018. He has been an assistant coach in youth baseball in Brighton Heights and also helped with youth basketball. Tony and his wife volunteered many hours to a local Cub Scouts Den. Tony volunteers his time 2 days per week delivering for Meals on Wheels to support elderly members of the community.
Tony participates in his local union (Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #1) where he is an active member in good standing. Tony completed the rigorous process of obtaining the distinction of Private Detective in Allegheny County in 2018. Over 2017-2018, Tony absorbed the majority of household responsibilities while his wife completed her Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership, attended polygraph certification school, and subsequently established her own polygraph business.
Tony is a member of the following organizations: Allegheny Country Rifle Club, The Greater Pittsburgh Police Emerald Society, Veteran Police Association, Local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Locking Army Men’s Fellowship.

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