The Long Road

So often today we hear catchy slogans like "Build Back Better" or "Make America Great Again," yet they completely disregard the true foundations for building better or making greatness. What does it take to build a community? A village? Great children? I provide the essentials in this book review of some key testimonial passages from "They Came Searching: How Blacks Sought the Promised Land in Tul...

On Memorial Day weekend of May 31, 1921, Tulsa became the worst race massacre in US history. After decades of conspiracy silence, Oklahomans of all races were successful in getting the real history out regarding this tragedy. Here is my summary of key historical facts and why we need to know history so we don't repeat this kind of massacre again. Access my Tulsa Massacre Summary Handout: https://t...

President Biden just delivered a speech backed by his slogan of "Build Back Better." President Trump rallied behind war cries of "Make America Great Again." Here's what history has to say about how BOTH of these slogans of propaganda are doomed to FAIL. #thelongroad

Context clues matter. Beyond the initial observation, what surrounds the situation? I saw a guy walking across the trail head parking lot towards me yesterday--holding a very large knife. What did it mean? A few months ago, I saw men coming down the running trail right at me with rifles. What did it mean? Factoring context clues--they did not mean what many would have thought. #thelongroad

A couple of years ago, someone gave me a can of old-school Barbasol shaving cream. I started using it and realized it worked just as well as the fancy and more expensive cream I've been using for decades! Plus the Barbasol lasted longer too. It made me think about fitness...if we took a "Barbasol" approach to fitness, would we also save money and get the same or even better results? Why do we over...

Many years ago, my mentor teacher June Gaede gave me a great list of commonly misspelled words that were important to teach my English students. This show is Part #2 with words 42-76. You might be surprised at how some of them are actually spelled and used. Literacy matters...and so does spelling. Access my Spelling handout here: https://www.ronjones.org/Handouts/English/SpellingWords-76.pdf

Many years ago, my mentor teacher June Gaede gave me a great list of commonly misspelled words that were important to teach my English students. I go over the first page today from 1-41; tomorrow, I'll finish with 42-76. You might be surprised at how some of them are actually spelled and used. Literacy matters...and so does spelling. Access my Spelling handout here: https://www.ronjones.org/Handou...

"It's checkout time, so haul ass!!" -Country Dick Montana (1955-1995) I had the sheer pleasure to see the legendary band "The Beat Farmers" twice in my life of freedom. This San Diego band was popular between 1983-1995 until their lead singer Country Dick Montana died while singing on stage in 1995. My story is about the freedom in life that is largely gone this past year and that many fear will n...

Disneyland re-opened this week in Southern California. There are people here that attend 3-4 times per month up to 3-5 times per week! What does history say about this type of leisure time usage? Why do Americans need to escape that much? What are they escaping from? #thelongroad *Graphic Credit: (Wikipedia) By Philroc - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6346...

This is show #7 on "Lotus Light" by modern dance icon and author Ruth St. Denis. "Lotus Light" was a book of poetry and illustrations published in 1932 and beautifully illustrated by her friend Ruth Harwood. Ruth St. Denis was one of the biggest names in the world of modern dance during the early 1900s, and her work still influences dancers and movement artists even today. She's one of my favorite...

Sometimes it's good just to participate in some simple amusement and entertainment especially when we need to escape the serious problems of the current world. I started watching some classic Clint Eastwood films last week. While entertaining, many also had good social messages about race and community too. Here are a few thoughts on spending a small amount of your time on simple amusement and wha...

I provide an extensive overview of the recent scientific review "Is a Mask That Covers the Mouth and Nose Free from Undesirable Side Effects in Everyday Use and Free of Potential Hazards" which was published on April 21, 2021 in the "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health." Topics are addressed from multiple disciplines and include: MIES-Mask Induced Exhaustion Syndrome,...

A recent publication by MIT's departments of chemical engineering and mathematics cited that the current "Six-Foot Rule" as recommended by the CDC offers little protection in indoor spaces. I think this information is being taken out of context because the whole article needs to be factored. More specifically, particle size matters. The six-foot guidelines are more specific to a certain size of dr...

In Rollo May's 1972 book, "Power and Innocence: A Search for the Sources of Violence," May wrote a chapter called "Ecstasy and Violence" where he explains man's attraction to the ecstasy or excitement surrounding violence and how this snaps us out of our mundane and "over-sterilized" modern environments. At the end of this chapter, he shares the story of a WWII combat veteran who returns to Europe...

Here are a few of my thoughts and stories about "passive" health when someone does something to help you and "active" health when you do something to help yourself directly. We really need both, but many times our ego and own insecurities get in the way of us relaxing enough to admit we need help. We are often afraid of self-exploration, yet this is important for growth as well as overall health....

This is show #6 on "Lotus Light" by modern dance icon and author Ruth St. Denis. "Lotus Light" was a book of poetry and illustrations published in 1932 and beautifully illustrated by her friend Ruth Harwood. Ruth St. Denis was one of the biggest names in the world of modern dance during the early 1900s, and her work still influences dancers and movement artists even today. She's one of my favorite...

I was in Tulsa, OK last week exploring a future relocation there this summer. I felt such a positive uplift from what is happening in this community. I share my observations on development, arts, traffic, parks and recreation, and just general vibes in Tulsa along with specific comments on "The Gathering Place" which is a world-class educational playground for children. #thelongroad https://www.ga...

Here are some interesting historical thoughts and physiology on the human body and adrenaline following certain outcomes whether they be a legal trial such as with the current George Floyd case or a major sporting championship event. Join me as I go over these and the psychological dynamics of "power" and its usage in negative or positive ways. What is the responsibility that should be associated...

I just returned from Tulsa, OK where I spent some time hiking in a nice wooded area outside of Tulsa called Tahlequah. As I was doing a simple hike on the "Sparrow Hawk Primitive Area" trail, I got a lot of ideas about life from the things I observed. Here are a few "trail ideas" that came to mind including some technical tips on trail running. Getting outside has many health benefits from mental...

Los Angeles County just granted us orange tier "freedoms" to reopen bars and increase capacity at certain venues, but don't be fooled! True bars that do not serve food: Outside only. NO live music. NO television inside. NO sitting at a counter. NO meeting more than six people from three households. Is this really freedom? Compared to what? *Photo Credit: "Santa Clarita Ladies" by Ron Jones #thelon...

There is an infamous dive bar down the street from me in Santa Clarita, CA where local working class heroes relaxed and enjoyed amazing live bands. It was a place where all kinds of people gathered from many different walks of life. What have we lost the last year? It's more than just beers and cheers. #thelongroadshow *Photo Credit: "Santa Clarita Ladies" by Ron Jones.

This is show #5 on "Lotus Light" by modern dance icon and author Ruth St. Denis. "Lotus Light" was a book of poetry and illustrations published in 1932 and beautifully illustrated by her friend Ruth Harwood. Ruth St. Denis was one of the biggest names in the world of modern dance during the early 1900s, and her work still influences dancers and movement artists even today. She's one of my favorite...

This is a very important show considering our current times. I'm sharing the most important tips I've learned over the years from my elite martial artists and law enforcement friends on how to avoid violent attacks. These are mental strategies. I'm not going over physical fighting techniques in this show. The idea is to use "situational awareness" to avoid or prevent a physical attack altogether....

This is a fun and fascinating story about how my Mexican gardener and landscaper ended up being a Mexican shaman who was trained in old-school methods of healing and how his touch and knowledge helped my own daughter when my methods and western medicine could not. Keep an open mind and heart to healing because you never know what might be out there and helpful. (Graphic Credit: Edgar Fabiano/Wikip...

America has a violent history of Red Summers. The Red Summer of 1919 saw dozens of violent racial riots across the US following the 1918 pandemic and resulting migration and social confusion. We had another Red Summer that was more commonly called "Freedom Summer" in 1964 which saw five major race riots between blacks and whites. As I look at the history of Red Summers and the historical markers,...