NEVER FORGET

NEVER FORGET: There were a total of 2,977 deaths on 9/11 [does not include the 19 hijackers who are never to be remembered]. The victims included 246 on the four planes, 2,606 in New York City, and 125 at the Pentagon. All the deaths in the attacks were civilians, except for 55 military personnel killed at the Pentagon.

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NEVER FORGET: Over 90% of those who who died in the WTC towers had been at or above the points of impact. In the North Tower 1,355 people at or above the point of impact were trapped and died of smoke inhalation, fell or jumped from the tower to escape the smoke and flames, or were killed in the building's eventual collapse. Below the point of impact 107 people did not survive. In the South Tower, 630 people died. Casualties in the South Tower were significantly reduced by the decision of some to evacuate when the North Tower was struck.

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NEVER FORGET: At least 200 people fell or jumped to their deaths from the burning towers, landing on the streets and rooftops of adjacent buildings hundreds of feet below. Some occupants of each tower above the point of impact made their way upward toward the roof in hope of helicopter rescue, but the roof access doors were locked. No plan existed for helicopter rescues, and the thick smoke and intense heat would have prevented helicopters from approaching.

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NEVER FORGET: A total of 411 emergency workers who responded to the WTC scene died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lost 341 firefighters and 2 paramedics. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department lost 37 officers. Eight emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from private emergency medical services units were killed.

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NEVER FORGET: Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., an investment bank on the 101st–105th floors of the North Tower, lost 658 employees; considerably more than any other employer. Marsh Inc., located immediately below Cantor Fitzgerald on floors 93–100, lost 358 employees, and 175 employees of Aon Corporation were also killed.

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NEVER FORGET: American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon at 09:37 EDT. All 59 (crew & passengers) on board the aircraft were killed, as were 125 people in the building. Dozens of people witnessed the crash and news sources began reporting on the incident within minutes. The impact severely damaged an area of the Pentagon and ignited a large fire. Rescue efforts began... immediately after the crash. Almost all the successful rescues of survivors occurred within half an hour of the impact. Initially, rescue efforts were led by the military and civilian employees within the building. Within minutes, the first fire companies arrived and found these volunteers searching near the impact site. The firemen ordered them to leave as they were not properly equipped or trained to deal with the hazards.

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NEVER FORGET: At 08:14 the attack upon America began when American Airlines Flight 11 was hijacked. America was on the defensive for only 103 minutes. At 09:57:55 the heroes of United Flight 93 put us on the offensive. The hijackers in the cockpit answered the revolt by rolling the airplane left and right to knock the passengers off balance, up and down to disrupt the assault. A hijacker, "They wa...nt to get in here. Hold, hold from the inside... Hold." The cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of crashing, screaming, and shattering glass. A passenger cried, "In the cockpit. If we don't, we'll die" Another passenger yelled, "Roll it!" A hijacker said, "Pull it down! Pull it down!" and then airplane turned hard right & rolled onto its back. Amidst the sounds of the passenger counterattack, the aircraft plowed into an empty field near Shanksville Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes flying time from Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Capitol Building believed to be the hijackers target. The last piece of flight data was recorded at 10:03:10. For 5 minutes & 15 seconds the heroes of Flight 93 fought the enemy and bravely sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others.

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NEVER FORGET: The deaths of adults who were killed in the attacks or died in rescue operations resulted in over 3000 children losing a parent. In the days immediately following the attacks, many memorials and vigils were held around the world. In addition, people posted photographs of the dead and missing all around Ground Zero. A witness described being unable to "get away from faces of innocent victims who were killed. Their pictures are everywhere, on phone booths, street lights, walls of subway stations. Everything reminded me of a huge funeral, people quiet and sad, but also very nice. Before, New York gave me a cold feeling; now people were reaching out to help each other.”

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 NEVER FORGET: The attacks had a significant economic impact on US & world market. US exchanges did not open on September 11 and remained closed until September 17. Reopening, the DJIA fell 684 points, or 7.1%, a record-setting one-day point decline. By the end of the week, the DJIA had fallen 1,369.7 points (14.3%), U.S. stocks lost $1.4 trillion in value for the week, equivalent to $1.74 trillion... in present day terms. In New York City, about 430,000 job-months and $2.8 billion dollars in wages were lost in the three months after the attacks. Business impact near the World Trade Center, 18,000 of which were destroyed or displaced, resulted in lost jobs. Some 31,900,000 square feet of Lower Manhattan office space was damaged or destroyed.

NEVER FORGET! 

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Squishy Time

Hope all had a great week and are set for a great weekend.

Myself, a decent week. Found some of my mojo, still need to find more; a week at a time for now.

This weekend my wife & I are off to visit our daughter at college and see her play in their weekend soccer game. Looking forward to spending away from home with my wife and catching up with Ashley.

Our daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan. Her college is nothing like Hogwarts however. Some colleges do pride themselves, and market themselves, in their similarities to Hogwarts. Apparently Yale University is considered to be the most Hogwarts like in America. A campus known for it's towers, courtyards, arches and gothic architecture. Under one library a tunnel leads to another library and onward through a vast underground network of passageways. The administration process places incoming students in one of twelve residential colleges, but no sorting hat is used. And to secure its spot as Hogwarts like, they offer a class called "Christian Theology and Harry Potter". I'm sure our daughter would like to take that class. And she can, just as soon as she applies to Yale and pays for it.

Have a great weekend whatever you do!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Walking Catfish Wednesday

Great walk yesterday after work. Took on my 2 mile neighborhood loop for the first time in a long time. Maybe first time since last winter to be honest. It took me 32:50 to complete, a far cry from my best time of 29:30 on that loop. Not upset at all that I was that far off my best pace. It gives me something to challenge myself on as I get my mojo back.

Great eats yesterday too. Baked up a mess of catfish, here is what a mess of catfish looks like before...

These were in my freezer for a couple of months. A work mate of mine is a fisherman & hunter as am I. So a couple of times a year we have a game-exchange. Over the summer I traded him a mess of venison chops, brats & bacon for a bag of catfish & two pheasants. It's only right to share ones harvest with a neighbor!

Here is what they look like after giving them some love before cooking...

The dish on the left and another like it not pictured are traditional corn meal & spice coated fillets. The dish on the right is not coated in corn meal or any other starchy/carby coating, thus a bit healthier. That dish ese are seasoned in different flavor combos. Top to bottom: Chili Crusted,... Lime Pepper,... Garlic-Maple.

I oven baked all the fish versus frying in oil to keep them healthier still. Whoa these were some serious delicious! These were small fillets by standard, so my mind was telling me I could affrd to eaten six fillets. But I just had two as hard as it was to stop there.
Hey I wanted to let all know that I've been reading your blogs but have had a problem commenting on some of you that use Blogger. Oddest thing, I get that error when trying to comment on some blogger blogs, not all. The ones where the comments are left in pop-ups, I do not have a problem with. But when the comment is made on the page itself (like mine) and I have to select 'select profile' for google account, that is when I get this error. I am signed in, I have to be as I can post on my blog, edit, etc, yet never in the upper right corner does it show me signed in. I've posted a cry for help in the blogger help forum, we'll see if someone rescues me.

Enjoy This Day!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Change To Lose

Took that picture while out for a walk yesterday. Perfect day here, low 60's, sunny, my kind of weather!

So as summer becomes fall, the change in seasons has me pondering why the need for change. Some changes, like health changes, can at times be better reasoned by considering what will be lost versus what will be gained upon success. Here a dislikes and don't wants I hope to lose...

I dislike climbing three or four flights of stairs with ease only to feel oxygen is needed to go on to flights five, six & seven.

I don't want to have to ever gesture frantically to my wife, or anyone nearby, that I need help with the heart attack or stroke I am in the throws of.

I dislike passing by a fast food restaurant and looking upon it with want & desire.

I don't want to ever have to go back to taking blood pressure pills again every morning.

I dislike being able to wear some 2x shirts but not all as some just are more snug than I like.

I don't want 'strapping on the feed bag' to be a relief option I give any consideration when life becomes difficult, stressful, boring, etc.

I dislike finding it a chore to factor exercise into my days.

I don't want to see myself in the skype rear-view window and wonder why jabba the hut is skyping my daughter.

I dislike believing that my ability to thump anyone who deserves it is not as swift and immediate as it once was.

I don't want to have to drive a SUV so that I feel comfortable and enjoy the drive.

I dislike having to stop for a breath when walking with loaded pack and rifle to & to/from deer stands during hunting season.

I don't want to miss out on seeing my grand children graduate high school, college and get married.

I dislike feeling the need to curse the scale every time I walk up to it.

I don't want to wake up any day doubting that I can end the day healthier than I began it.



Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day is the unofficial end of the summer, don't worry it will return in 2012.


Labor Day is an occasion for getting your BBQ'n on, and then go for a jog to get it off.

Labor Day is a day for towns, villages, cities to put on parades; I'm not much of a parade guy myself but love free candy being thrown at me.

Labor Day is unfortunately where politicians will appear at these parades and open their mouths, worry that these folk will be around all through 2012.

Labor Day is referenced throughout the year as when the NFL and College football seasons will kick off again, amen to kicking pigskin.

Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor; in case you didn't know.

Whatever Labor Day is to you, enjoy this day.

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Stand Up To Success

Rain, it rained while we were attending our son's soccer game yesterday. It happens. When it does, you can break out an umbrella, hang in there & tough out that which would deter you, or, you can flee from that which is unpleasant. What would you be more apt to do?

Keep in mind I am talking about a rain shower, not a hurricane. Sometimes, you gotta flee! But do those of us who struggle to get fit, stay fit; do we tend to flee too easily in the face of difficulty?

A whole post could be dedicated to what "difficulty" means to us, and I may do just that near term. But let me stay focused on my point; why we choose to stand down in the face of difficulty.

This analysis could go in so many directions. There is the science of the flight-or-fight response, but I'm not talking about facing a momma-grizzly bear protecting her cubs. There is the quest for convenience and ease in life; but I'm not talking about using the remote control to change the channel versus getting up and using the buttons on the television console - want to have some fun hide the remote at a time when you know your kids will watch television; odds are they will flee for something else to do before they push buttons on the television.

Instead, I believe why we most often choose to stand down the difficulties of weight loss is really quite simple; we don't step up and make decisions before we act.

Over the past month or two I've had so many opportunities to exercise, but quickly if not almost instantaneously decided not to. No, that is wrong, it wasn't a decision, it was a reflex reaction made nearly unconsciously. Why do I unconsciously not do what I know I ought to do?

Where does that come from? I'm honestly not certain. But what I am certain of is that when I am on my game, I am consciously determining the pro/con of options and making reasoned decisions. When I am off my game, I've checked out in the decision making department. That inner-demon has checked in and unconsiously decides that I will watch tevelvision versus go for a walk.

To be successful I need to stand up to the challenge of making difficult decisions. For some of us, choosing 30 minutes of exercise over 3 hours of television is a difficult decision. Choosing 30 minutes to prepare a healthy meal over a 3 minute drive-thru meal is a difficult decision.

Success is recognizing when a decision is before you that will impact your weight.
Success is standing up, spending 3 seconds reasoning the options and before we act.
Success is making a conscious decision in the best interest of you, not your inner-demon!


Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

In Short, In truth, Here I am

I've received a bunch, I mean a BUNCH,of inquiries as to ny whereabouts. I chose to reply to one of them, using that reply to organize my thoughts, and then after sending that email share them with all here via this post....

Hi Jody, thanks for checking up on me; I hope all has been well with you!

In short, everything is Ok here. Family is happy, healthy, everything is well with our home, work and school lives.

In truth, after we returned from vacation in early July I struggled to get my mojo back for forgoing ahead with my mission to slim down to 199. For a couple of weeks I kept doing the things I had been, but oddly the exercise was harder to get through, the meal discipline was harder to manage, the balancing of me-first in with my non-me priorities was harder to execute.

Even as I sit here and type now, I do not know why what was so easy, so enjoyable a year ago; I do not know why it suddenly got so hard. The best I can rationalize is that I was beginning to mentally burn out to some degree. Seeing that I knowingly decided to step back and take a break from what was proving difficult, I have no doubt that was it.

So here I am today, the weekend drawing to a close, August days away from closing as well. I've stayed away from the scale as its been a source of difficulty; difficulty in not seeing number continue downward. Today, I would guess it is 10 pounds greater than where is was a couple of months ago. Exercise has been very sporadic, my eating has been inconsistent from day to day.

Over the past couple days I've caught myself thinking more as I did a year ago. We (my wife & I) have put conscious effort into reversing the difficulty and regaining momentum. Over the next week we look to work on our consistency a day at a time. This morning we got off our butts and got them moving again in a big way with a 6.9 mile walk along a nearby forest preserve trail.

What is most frustrating is even through this difficult period, we have not forgotten how important it is to get healthy, to stay healthy. The reasons I started this mission some sixteen months ago have not changed. While the challenges and results of what we do vary from day to day, month to month; the reasons for living healthy lives are constant.

Understanding this, we must now harness the importance of these reasons in order to reclaim commitment and resume consistency.

I'll check in on your blog and those of others who I've missed this week!

p.s.. the picture at the top there is of my wife & daughter exchanging a tearful goodbye as we dropped her off at college nearly three weeks ago.


Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!