‘Merica

Thirteen(?) Pax, took the Daily Red Pill (DRP) this morning and got better.

The Gumby Pax: Meatsweats, Mandalay, Josey and (Q: Squirrel)

The Stronghold Pax: Taco Cat, FroYo, McFly, Schlitz, Chitwood, Scout, MadBum, Poacher (Q: Flying Tomato)

The Scene: Pretty dad-gum nice. 

The Thang:

As YHC Q’d Gumby I’m not 100% sure what happened at Stronghold.  Apparently there was a whole lot of MSU (Making Sh*t Up) 

MOBILITY ROUTINE

• Seated trunk rotations
• Cobra to active back bend
• Low Lunge – Move to runners lunge
• Hip rotations
• Good morning Squat

BACK

• Seated Twist
• Standing Spinal Twist

HIPS / HAMSTRINGS – Hip stretch (90/90)

QUADS – Standing Quad stretch

LATS – Childs Pose Cross body

CALVES – Down dog & some kind of ankle-twister thing Josey knew

STABILITY – Mountain Pose moving to Tree

STRENGTH / CORE

• Slow Freddy Mercury’s– IC
• Reverse Crunch
• Modified WWII situps
• Plank
• Elbow Plank

Announcements: 

1. Flying Tomato humbly apologized to the Pax for his latest faux pas on GroupMe.  We love us some Flying Tomato!  While we cannot unsee those images we can see the heart of a genuine man who loves God.
2. 5 March, that’s this Saturday – Roadside cleanup on the F3 Sandhills stretch of road (Airport road).Start time will be after coffeeteria

Prayer requests:

1. Prayers for Gary, Neo’s brother. We also surround Neo’s mom and whole family as they work to understand what is and how to move through the valley together.  If you aren’t sure what to do….reach out to Neo and ask.  Sometimes we just need to hear a familiar voice or have someone be with us
2. Prayers for Brandi’s (McFly’s M) grandparents. They are struggling with memory loss, whether that’s dementia or something else who knows…God does.  Let’s lift them up and if needed go to their aid…McFly will direct us if needed.

 

McFly lead us out in prayer

 

MOLESKINE:  ‘Merica….

Often we go to others with a heavy heart or wonder if America has lost its way.  Well, here’s something that can make us all feel better about this great country of ours.  A recent worldwide investigation into human goodness and thoughtfulness found that, delightfully, it’s broadly distributed across cultures even in difficult times. Far from being monopolized by benevolent-seeming social democracies, the degree to which humans will reach out a helping hand is strong no matter where you live.

Using data from the World Giving Index, the World Bank, The Charities Aid Foundation, proprietary surveys, the Global Philanthropic Index, the WHO, and more, a team created the Most Thoughtful Societies Index. 

In terms of international charitable contributions, i.e. the amount that people from one country donate to another as a percentage of gross national income, the United States’ philanthropists gave the most.

The U.S. is also the most compassionate society.  This was determined by how much people feel they support one another. Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria follow before any other nations.

The amount of hours spent volunteering, perhaps a clearer picture of compassion, is also highest in the United States. Once again, Indonesia in close third, is never far from the top.

While many east Asian countries are close to the top, elderly support from family members is highest in the Gulf monarchies, Saudi Arabia in first place, the UAE in second.

These findings should warm the heart because, even as screwed up as we humans are, there remains a strong global desire to volunteer, give back, and help one another.

Yes. The world is a bit topsy-turvy right now.  We see and hear of Russia and Ukraine and the f-ing mess that is.  What will happen?  I don’t know.  My daughter asked me if we should be worried about Russia.  My response, “worry won’t help anyone or anything.”  Unless we are in positions to go and do we must rely on the leaders on the world stage and pray they find the backbone to stand up against evil.  

Until such a time this happens what we can do is be the ‘Merica we all know and love…we volunteer, provide compassion, and love our brothers and sisters across the globe.  We are all God’s children.  Pray for the Ukrainians, the world leaders, and even Russian soldiers – yes, them too, for many of them are scared young men who are following orders.  These orders are evil, wrong and misguided…however some (not all) of these soldiers are just following orders.  God-willing they will have the internal fortitude to stand up and see what they are asked to do is wrong and will turn to the light and right. 

‘Merica.  I love her!  As screwed up as we are my allegiance be firmly with her.  Always has been and always will.  Some of you may follow the modified quote below:

“The hell’s the matter with you? Stupid! We’re all very different people. We’re not Watusi. We’re not Spartans. We’re Americans, with a capital ‘A’, huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We’re the underdog. We’re mutts! Here’s proof: your nose is cold! But there’s no animal that’s more faithful, that’s more loyal, more loveable than the mutt. Who saw “Old Yeller?” Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end?  We’re all dogfaces, we’re all very, very different, but there is one thing that we all have in common: we were all stupid enough to come out into the Gloom.  We’re mutants. There’s something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us – we’re the Pax of F3. But we’re Americans!”

 

Here’s a riff off John Wayne’s love for America:

You ask me why I love America?
Have you seen a Kansas sunset or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a river down North Carolina way?
Or heard a Bobwhite calling in the Carolina pines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you when you hear her waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder at a Maine shore…

Have you seen a snowflake drifting in the Rockies… way up high?
Have you seen the sun come blazing down from a bright Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia as she rushes to the sea…
Or bow your head at Gettysburg… in our struggle to be free?

Have you seen the mighty Tetons? …Have you watched an eagle soar?
Have you seen the Mississippi roll along Missouri’s shore?

From Alaska’s gold to the Everglades… from the Rio Grande to Maine…
My heart cries out… my pulse runs fast at the might of her domain.
You ask me why I love her?… I’ve a million reasons why.
My beautiful America… beneath Gods’ wide, wide sky.

‘Merica.  We are charitable, we compassionate and like it or not we are the mutts that band together when the chips are down.  We lead our fellow man, our communities by example, through our actions….not just words

 

Aye!