Best in the world. So proud of you! Thank you for all you do. (Never enough said!)
The Hand of God ?
Red represents low-energy X-rays, the medium range is green, and the most energetic ones are colored blue. The blue hand-like structure was created by energy emanating from the nebula around they dying star PSR B1509-58. The red areas are from a neighboring gas cloud called RCW 89. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al.
Lost Treasures in Cologne, Germany
On one of my trips to Germany, we visted the beautiful city of Cologne. I was saddened to see the following news:
March 5, 2009
The city without a memory: treasures lost under collapsed Cologne archives
(Federico Gambarini)
The six-story building (shown above) was supposed to be a model for similar archives around the world. But it collapsed in minutes.
The Eye of God
The Eye of God
Only 450 light years away in the constellation Aquarius, this long-observed planetary nebula, created from outgassing of a dying star has been imaged in glorious detail and color by Hubble.
Nicknamed “The Eye of God” it spans an area half the size of the moon. Read more from hubblesite.org.
(NASA, ESA, C.R. O’Dell (Vanderbilt University), and M. Meixner, P. McCullough)
~
This is the one that freaks me out… this could just as easily happen in our Milky Way Galaxy. A true “star wars” event! Makes one feel pretty small and insignificant, doesn’t it? So, forget your troubles today! If we get zapped like this, none of it will matter!
“Death Star” Galaxy Black Hole Fires at Neighboring Galaxy
Even galaxies get bullied. Here, a so-called “death star galaxy” blasts a nearby galaxy with a jet of energy. Scientists said that if this happened in the Milky Way, it would likely destroy all life on Earth.
Dec. 17, 2007
RELEASE : 07-280
‘Death Star’ Galaxy Black Hole Fires at Neighboring Galaxy
WASHINGTON – A powerful jet from a super massive black hole is blasting a nearby galaxy, according to new findings from NASA observatories. This never-before witnessed galactic violence may have a profound effect on planets in the jet’s path and trigger a burst of star formation in its destructive wake.
Known as 3C321, the system contains two galaxies in orbit around each other. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory show both galaxies contain super massive black holes at their centers, but the larger galaxy has a jet emanating from the vicinity of its black hole. The smaller galaxy apparently has swung into the path of this jet.
This “death star” galaxy was discovered through the combined efforts of both space and ground-based telescopes. NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer Space Telescope were part of the effort. The Very Large Array telescope, Socorro, N.M., and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) telescopes in the United Kingdom also were needed for the finding.
“We’ve seen many jets produced by black holes, but this is the first time we’ve seen one punch into another galaxy like we’re seeing here,” said Dan Evans, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and leader of the study. “This jet could be causing all sorts of problems for the smaller galaxy it is pummeling.”
Jets from super massive black holes produce high amounts of radiation, especially high-energy X-rays and gamma-rays, which can be lethal in large quantities. The combined effects of this radiation and particles traveling at almost the speed of light could severely damage the atmospheres of planets lying in the path of the jet. For example, protective layers of ozone in the upper atmosphere of planets could be destroyed.
Jets produced by super massive black holes transport enormous amounts of energy far from black holes and enable them to affect matter on scales vastly larger than the size of the black hole. Learning more about jets is a key goal for astrophysical research.
“We see jets all over the universe, but we’re still struggling to understand some of their basic properties,” said co-investigator Martin Hardcastle of the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. “This system of 3C321 gives us a chance to learn how they’re affected when they slam into something like a galaxy and what they do after that.”
The effect of the jet on the companion galaxy is likely to be substantial, because the galaxies in 3C321 are extremely close at a distance of only about 20,000 light years apart. They lie approximately the same distance as Earth is from the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
A bright spot in the Very Large Array and MERLIN images shows where the jet has struck the side of the galaxy, dissipating some of the jet’s energy. The collision disrupted and deflected the jet.
Another unique aspect of the discovery in 3C321 is how relatively short-lived this event is on a cosmic time scale. Features seen in the Very Large Array and Chandra images indicate that the jet began impacting the galaxy about one million years ago, a small fraction of the system’s lifetime. This means such an alignment is quite rare in the nearby universe, making 3C321 an important opportunity to study such a phenomenon.
It is possible the event is not all bad news for the galaxy being struck by the jet. The massive influx of energy and radiation from the jet could induce the formation of large numbers of stars and planets after its initial wake of destruction is complete.
The results from Evans and his colleagues will appear in The Astrophysical Journal. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations from the Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge, Mass. Additional information and images are available at: http://chandra.nasa.gov
Doc Tate Nevaquaya’s 1st print?
I thought you might be interested to see what has been said to be the first print Doc ever produced. It was made around 1978.
The title of the work is “Sand Storm.”
Very interesting piece, don’t you think?
Woogie: Comanche Warrior
This is a beautiful photo portrait of my dear friend, Woogie Watchetaker, graciously provided by David and Ruth Malhalab. It was taken by their family member, Jonathon J. Malhalab, sometime between 1976 – 1977 when the family member was stationed at Fort Sill.
Mr. Malhalab is seeking any information whatsoever relating to this photo and the circumstances relating to it. If you have any information relating to this photo or the events relating to it, please email me and I will put you in contact with him.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy seeing Woogie, proudly displaying his great strength, pride and strong character. What a special man he was and I extend a special thank you to Mr. Malhalab for sharing it with me and for the permission to post it on my artblog so that the entire world can enjoy it as well. Jonathon J. Malhalab’s photographic skills were amazing. I know Woogie must have been very pleased with the results of the sitting. I’m so thankful for whatever circumstances made it possible for the photo to be taken and appreciate David Malhalab generously sharing it with us. This, my friends, is the Woogie I knew. He always described himself to me as “strong, like Geronimo” and that strength Woogie always displayed was skillfully captured in this photo.
NOTE: This photo is protected by a copyright. You must have written permission from Mr. Malhalab or his representative to copy or use this photo.
The Eagle: Did You Know…?
Did you know that an Eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind picks it up and lifts it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it all in the calming breath of the Great Spirit. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher.
The storms do not have to overcome us. When the storms of life come upon us (and all of us will experience storms in our lives) we have the ability to rise above them by setting our sight on Our Great Creator. We can look to Our Great Creator’s almighty power to lift us up above the storm.
The Creator of all things can set us above the winds of the storm and allow us to soar above it all, just as the eagle does.
Kindred Spirits by Cheryl Davis (Copyright 1993)
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eages.”
Isaiah 40:31
A Cherokee Legend: Two Wolves Within
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
.
Yigaquv osaniyu adanvto adadoligi naqvv utlogasdi nihi
(May The Great Spirit’s Blessings always be with you)
.
Oh, Father Time… slow down, please!
What’s the big hurry?
A 2008 Merry Christmas to Everyone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_06dC-qqT0
Remember the Reason for the Season. I pray that it is a blessed holiday for you and yours. May the New Year bring you all an abundance of God’s love and grace.
Be Blessed.
Cheryl
GO SOONERS!
G00d Luck in the Championship Game!
Sooner Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l01VR6m5o08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59hCnuMcoQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6THZEaZ89NY
Veterans Day 2008 Salute to a Father and Son: Richard and Hugh Vertrees; and To All Our Military Troops
This Veterans Day, I want to say a big “THANK YOU” to all the top-notch men & women who serve or have served and sacrificed for this great Nation. Your military service makes it possible for us to live the very blessed lives that we live. I also send up a special prayer for America as we begin the “Obama Era” in America’s history.
Today, I ask for two “special blessings:” One for my nephew, Richard “Vercules” Vertrees, who honorably served with the 204th Military Police, Bladerunners in Baghdad, Iraq for a one year tour as an MP. Richard was there during the period of time Saddam was captured: an extremely violent time to be there. Another for Richard’s father, my dear brother-in-law Hugh Vertrees, who served honorably in Phi Bui, Vietnam with the 101st Airborne. Both men saw combat during their time in service. They served their country well. I am incredibly proud of both of them, for the many blessings they bring to my life and will forever be grateful to them for their service and great sacrifice. Words are, as always, so insufficient to express my gratitude for all that “they and hundreds of thousands of others” have given.
Hugh Vertrees (Above Photo: Right) was stationed in Phi Bui, Vietnam with the 101st Airborne. His treacherous job was to patrol the jungles, rivers, and deny the enemy access into Phi Bui. This duty was a result of the successful capturing of Phi Bui in 1968. Hugh honorably served his country in Vietnam from January 1971 to December, 1971.
“Welcome Home Soldier! Thank you for your service!”
Richard “Vercules” Vertrees (Above Photo, Right)
(Richard: Front Row, Far Left Side)
204th Military Police, Bladerunners: Baghdad, Iraq 2003
Richard, “Home for Christmas“
To Richard and Hugh, and to all who are
currently serving or who have served in years past.
You make me proud! THANK YOU!
Yigaquv osaniyu adanvto adadoligi naqvv utlogasdi nihi
(May The Great Spirit’s Blessings always be with you)
“AND HERE’S A SALUTE TO AMERICA’S FUTURE SOLDIERS!”
Adrian says, “Go Army!”
Links:
Richard’s unit:
http://www.fortpolkguardian.com/articles/2005/12/16/fort_polk_news/16deploy.txt
Hugh’s unit:
101st Airborne Veterans
http://www.vetfriends.com/units/?unit=238104&gclid=CNy3rs248JYCFQRkswodwVdrrA
The Vietnam Center & Archive: Virtual Archive
http://www.virtualarchive.vietnam.ttu.edu/starweb/virtual/virtual/servlet.starweb?path=virtual/virtual/fa_new.web&search1=ONUM%3D2130000000
Community of Veterans (Support for Iraq and Afghanistan Soldiers)
http://communityofveterans.org/
MILITARY.COM: A Veteran’s Day Slide Show
http://www.military.com/veterans-day/veterans-day-slideshow.html?ESRC=army.nl
Our Best WORLD WAR I AND II Weapon: Choctaw Code Talkers
http://www.oklachahta.org/code%20talkers.htm
In the closing days of World War I, fourteen Choctaw Indian men in the Army’s Thirty-Sixth Division, trained to use their language, helped the American Expeditionary Force win several key battles in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign in France, the final big German push of the war. The fourteen Choctaw Code Talkers were Albert Billy, Mitchell Bobb, Victor Brown, Ben Caterby, James Edwards, Tobias Frazer, Ben Hampton, Solomon Louis, Pete Maytubby, Jeff Nelson, Joseph Oklahombi, Robert Taylor, Calvin Wilson, and Walter Veach.
With at least one Choctaw man placed in each field company headquarters, they handled military communications by field telephone, translated radio messages into the Choctaw language, and wrote field orders to be carried by “runners” between the various companies. The German army, which captured about one out of four messengers, never deciphered the messages written in Choctaw.
The Choctaws were recognized as the first to use their native language as an unbreakable code in World War I. The Choctaw language was again used in World War II. Choctaws conversed in their language over field radios to coordinate military positions, giving exact details and locations without fear of German interception.
1939 to 1945
The Army taps Hopi, Choctaw, Comanche, Kiowa, Winnebago, Seminole, Navajo and Cherokee Americans to use their languages as secret code in World War II. The Marines rely on Navajos to create and memorize a code based on the complex Navajo language.
During the annual Choctaw Labor Day Festival in 1986, Chief Hollis E. Roberts presented posthumous Choctaw Nation Medals of Valor to the families of the Code Talkers. This was the first official recognition the Choctaw Code Talkers had been given. On November 3, 1989, in recognition of the important role the Choctaw Code Talkers played during World War I, the French government presented Chief Roberts with the “Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Merite” (the Knight of the National Order of Merit), the highest honor France can bestow.
The World War I
Choctaw “Code Talkers”
Unbelievable, these men have never been honored by their country.
We can help make it happen.
The Family Tree – August/September 1999
Bryan County Heritage Quarterly
P.O. Box 153, Calera, Okla. 74730-0153
In the closing days of World War I, eight Choctaw Indians were instrumental in helping the American Expeditionary Force to win several key battles in the Meusse Argonne Campaign, which proved to be the final big German push of that war. These Brave soldiers were the now famous Choctaw Code Talkers. One of the eight was from Bryan County, Oklahoma and one was from Choctaw County and the remaining six were from McCurtain County. They were Solomon Lewis, Bennington; Ben Carterby, (Bismark) Wright City, Mitchell Bobb, Smithville; Robert Taylor, Bokehito or Boswell; Ca’vin Nelson, Kullitukle; Pete Maytubby, Borken Bow; James Edwards, Ida (now Battiest) and Jeff Wilson, Goodwater.
All of these men were serving in the same battalion, which was practically surrounded by the German Army.
And, to make matters worse, it was known that the Germans had “broken” the American radio codes and had tapped the telephone lines. The Germans were also capturing about one out of every four messengers sent out as runners between the various companies on the battle line.
One day, a Captain Lawrence, Commander of one of the companies, was strolling through the company area when he happened to overhear Solomon Lewis and Mitchell Bobb conversing in their native Choctaw language.
After listening for a few minutes, he called Lewis and asked “Corporal, how many of you Choctaws do we have in this battalion?”
After a conference with Bobb, Lewis told the Caption, “We have eight men who speak fluent Choctaw in the Battalion, Sir.”
“Are there any of them over in headquarters Company?: the Captain asked/
“I think Carterby and Maytubby are over there, Sir.” Lewis replied.
“You fellows sit right here,” said the Captain.
He got on the field telephone and discovered that, indeed, Ben Carterby and Pete Maytubby were attached to Headquarters Company.
“Get Them and have them stand by,” Captain Lawrence told his commanding officer “I’ve got an idea that might just get those Heinies off our backs.”
Calling Lewis Bobb the Captain told them, “Look, I’m going to give you a message to call in to headquarters and I want you to give the message in your language. There will be somebody there who can understand it.”
It was at that moment that PFC Mitchell Bobb, using field telephone, delivered the first Choctaw Code Message to Choctaw Ben Carterby, who then translated it into English for the Battalion commander.
Within a matter of hours, the eight men able to speak the Choctaw Language had been shifted until there was at least one in each field company headquarters.
Not only were they handling field telephone calls, they were translating radio messages into the Choctaw Language and writing field order to be carried by “runners” between the various companies.
The Berman code experts were “flipping their wigs” trying to break the new American code.
With in 72 hours after the Choctaw language was pressed into service, the tide of battle had turned, and in less than 72 hours, the German Army was retreating and the Allied Forces were on full attack.
Since this occurred at the close of the war, the Choctaw Code Talkers were apparently used in only this one campaign. The men were praised by their company commanders and the battalion commander. Thought these men were promised medals for their contributions to end the war, they have never been received.
The information contained in this history of the Choctaw Code talkers was told to the writer of the article by Solomon Lewis in 1979, who at that time, was the only remaining Code talker alive. Solomon Lewis died sometime between 1982 and 1983.
With Thanks to the Bryan County Heritage Quarterly.
American Indian Medal of Honor Winners – In the 20th century, five American Indians have been among those soldiers to be distinguished by receiving the United States’ highest military honor: the Medal of Honor.
America’s Secret Military Weapon
Bishinik – The Official Publication of the Choctaw Nation, August 1986.
Choctaw Code Talkers – WWI – The First code talkers in the U. S. Arm Forces
Native Indian Tongue for Secure Communications
Who were the Choctaw code talkers?
Code Talkers – Mosai Ne-ahs-jah Be Dzeh – What does this mean?
http://library.thinkquest.org/28005/flashed/timemachine/courseofhistory/choctaw.shtml
The Choctaw Code Talkers:
As World War I drew to a close, the United States had a continuing problem of phone calls being intercepted by German forces. One could be fairly certain that a German spy would hear any telephone call made. Unfortunately, voice-scrambling technology wouldn’t be invented for decades. The United States came up with several inventive solutions to the problem, but unfortunately none of them worked for any length of time.
First, the Army tried trench codes. They worked for a time, but after they had been in use for a while, the Germans readily cracked them. Another solution, sending messengers between camps, failed because Germans captured about one in four.
So, what was the Army to do? One smart commander, Captain Lewis, realized that the languages used by American Indians are extremely complex and difficult to learn. He capitalized on the complexity as a code, employing eight Choctaw Indians during the Mousse-Argonne campaign, which turned out as the final German push of the war.
The Indians:
- Solomon Lewis
- Mitchell Bobb
- Ben Carterby
- Robert Taylor
- Jeff Nelson
- Pete Maytubby
- James Edwards
- Calvin Wilson
(Above Photo) The Choctaw Code Talkers. (Image created before 1918.)
Simply put, the Indians were stationed at command posts, and spoke all important telephone calls in their native language, translating from and into English for their commanders. German intelligence wasn’t able to figure out what the new American code was or to even think about breaking it.
Within 24 hours of the United States starting to use Choctow Indians language as a form of encryption, the tides of war changed in favor of the United States. Within 72 hours, the Germans were in retreat.
The Choctow weren’t used again in an unclassified military effort (other data may still be classified). However, the Navajo tribe was utilized in World War II, where they had equal effectiveness at stumping German cryptographers.
http://www.choctawnation.com/files/codetalkersact.pdf
World War 1 Code Talkers Instrumental in Ending War
When World War I broke out a huge percentage of Choctaw men volunteered, along with about 10,000 other Native Americans, for service in the U.S. Military. The language the Choctaws spoke was considered obsolete. That same language later helped bring about a successful end to the war by confounding German eavesdroppers.
During World War I, with the tapping of the American Army’s phone lines, the Germans were able to learn the location of where the Allied Forces were stationed at, as well as where supplies were kept. An idea was born to put Choctaw Indians on the phones and let them talk in their Native speech. The German soldiers had never heard this language before. The Choctaw Nation also had tribal members who used their language to transmit messages in World War II. The native language was an excellent tool to use on behalf of the American forces in both wars. Until the use of the Choctaw language in World War I, the Germans had decoded all transmitted messages sent by the Allied Forces.
In World War I, according to a memo dated January 23, 1919, from the commanding officer of the 142nd Infantry Division, Col. A.W. Bloor, “The first use of the Indians was made in ordering a delicate withdrawal of two companies of the 2nd Bn. From Chufilly to Chardoney on the night of October 26th. This movement was completed without mishap, although it left the Third Battalion greatly depleted in previous fighting, without support. The Indians were used repeatedly on the 27th in preparation for the assault on Forest Farm. The enemy’s complete surprise is evidence that he could not decipher the messages. “After the withdrawal of the regiment to Louppy-le-Petit, a number of Indians were detailed for training tin transmitted messages over the telphone. The instruction was carried out by the Liaison Officer, Lieutenant Black. It had been found that the Indian’s vocabulary of military terms was insufficient. The Indian for ‘Big gun’ was used to indicate artillery. ‘Little gun shoot fast,’ was substituted for machine gun, and the battalions were indicated by one, two, and three grains of corn.”
“It was found that the Indian tongues do not permit verbatim translation, but at the end of the short training period at Louppy-le-Petit, the results were very gratifying, and it is believed, had the regiment gone back into the line, fine results would have been obtained. We were confident the possibilities of the telephone had been obtained without its hazards.”
“The Choctaw Nation is very proud of the story of the original Code Talkers, and even has a granite monument at the entrance to our capitol grounds that bears the engraved names of the men who used the Choctaw language to help win World War I,” said Chief Gregory E. Pyle. “The language is so important to the tribe today that there are classes offered in 43 public schools, two colleges and three universities, as well as on the Internet and in many community centers.” Verbal history, combined with written history, has revealed the names of the 18 Choctaws who were trained to use their own language to transmit messages that the enemy was never able to decipher. These men were Tobias Frazier, Victor Brown, Joseph Oklahombi, Ben Hampton, Albert Billy, Walter Veach, Ben Carterby, James Edwards, Solomon Louis, Pete Maytubby, Michell Bobb, Calvin Wilson, Jeff Nelson, Joseph Davenport, George Davenport, Noel Johnson, Otis Leader and Robert Taylor. Originally, only eight men were asked to be Choctaw Code Talkers, but as the success of using their native language as a “code” was recognized, others were quickly pressed into service.
When the Choctaw tongue was spoken over the field telephones, the Germans stopped attacking the supply dumps and counter attacking the American troops. This is because they had no idea what the Choctaws were saying and couldn’t effectively spy on the message transmissions. A captured German officer later said they were completely confused by the “code”.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has formalized a request to Congress that recognition be given to the Native American Code Talkers of all tribes who used their own language during WWI or WWII as a “code” to confuse the enemy. Honor from the United States Government to these unsung heroes is long overdue.
Other Links:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-2.htm
American Indian Medal of Honor Winners
Navajo Code Talkers in World War II: A Bibliography
Navajo Code Talker Dictionaryhttp://firstworldwar.cloudworth.com/choctaw-code-talkers.php
The first code talkers: Choctaw telephone squad, 142nd Infantry
Choctaw Indians were the first “code talkers” in the U.S. military, using their language a generation before the World War II Navajos. A band of Choctaw Indians volunteered when the U.S. entered WW1 and joined the 36th Infantry Division. They were never recognized, and their descendants have been on the offensive to change that. “We don’t have a lot of Indian heroes,” said Tewanna Edwards, the great-niece of Choctaw veteran Otis Leader. They met with some success when Lt. Gen. Charles Rodriguez honored the 18 Choctaw code talkers at a ceremony in Austin. Families believe that the code talkers deserve a Congressional Gold Medal, which the WWII Navajos received. [ star-telegram :: 2007-09-17 :: WW1 Choctaw code talkers ]
Tommie Harris To Prove He Can Dominate? You Can Count On It!
Cheryl says,”Tommie told me he’s feeling good!
He’s ready for a great year and I know it ‘absolutely… positively’ will be a major clutch year for him!”
Tear it up, Tommie! You are in our prayers, as always!
We love you.
Psalm 18:1-2, 20-42
In this July 30, 2006 file photo, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris waves to fans during the team’s evening practice at football training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. Harris says the talks that led to his four-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Bears were businesslike and “classy.” Speaking at a news conference Friday June 20, 2008 at Halas Hall, the defensive tackle said he and Bears management kept negotiations private in reaching a deal that will keep him with Chicago through 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
Article below can be found at:
http://www.nwherald.com/bears/story.php?id=493
By NICK HUT – nhut@nwnewsgroup.com
BOURBONNAIS – With Tommie Harris, it can be hard to pick which trait stands out the most.
Harris is earnest and passionate. After several of the Bears’ most disappointing losses last season, he was the one who went around the locker room telling various teammates to stay positive.
Harris is playful and witty. He knows when not to take his job too seriously, a rare trait indeed in the NFL.
Someone recently asked Harris about training camp, for example, probably expecting a stock answer about how it helps forge toughness and solidarity.
“You go from a nice big ol’ house to sharing showers and having stalls and having to see dudes’ feet underneath while you’re trying to handle your business,” Harris said. “Training camp is an amazing place to be, man.”
Harris is rich. He signed a $40 million contract extension last month that runs through 2012. The $10 million annual average of the deal is an NFL record for his position.
Most importantly to the Bears, Harris is a dominant defensive tackle. He merely needs to put together an entire season to prove it beyond any doubt.
“He’s healthy now, and he’s got a lot of things behind him,” coach Lovie Smith said. “He can just really concentrate on being the best defensive tackle in football. Who knows exactly how good he can be when he plays in a complete season? We’re expecting him to do that.”
Harris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was lights-out at the start of the past two seasons. Combine the first eight games of 2006 and 2007, and Harris had 30 solo tackles, 12 sacks and three tackles for a loss.
Those are premier numbers for a defensive tackle, a position where players usually settle for occupying blockers so the defensive ends and linebackers can make plays. Harris’ singular athleticism allows him to do that and more.
“He’s probably as good as there is in this league at his position,” defensive line coach Brick Haley said. “You just expect the guy to be good. We’re happy to have him.”
Harris has had a harder time during the second half of the past two seasons.
A severe hamstring tear knocked him out for the final four games and the playoffs in 2006. He was slowing down a bit even before the injury, going seven games without a sack.
In 2007, Harris said, an early-season sprained knee ligament caught up with him as the games progressed. He had only one of his eight sacks in the final eight games.
But Harris takes issue with the notion that he wears down as a season goes along.
“I get cheap-shotted” by opposing blockers, he said, which takes a toll on his lower body.
Harris said he feels as good now as he has since the ’06 preseason. He expects to start fast and, this time, stay that way.
“We’re very proud of Tommie,” general manager Jerry Angelo said. “He is one of our signature players – somebody who represents us very well not only on the football field, but off the football field.”
Psalm 91
CHICAGO – DECEMBER 02, 2007: Tommie Harris #91 of the Chicago Bears prepares to face the New York Giants during warm-ups on December 2, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Roy Ramirez on Jerome’s Gift of Creativity
Roy asks: “What is it with gifted and talented people? What an amazing gift they have, to be able to visually express their ‘minds’ interpretations of life.’ A gift that is so amazing to us mortals who are not creative in this way! To think that anything a gifted artist creates is ‘less than acceptable genius,’ doesn’t register with me.
There were a number of times, when I’d visit Jerome at his home in El Reno, Oklahoma, that I’d find him in his ‘designated studio space.’ He’d be sitting there… just staring at a piece of artwork ‘that I found to be awesome!’ I’d ask what he was up to and he’d answer with something like “wasting time, from what I can see.
Another time, as I walked up the steps of his porch, I noticed an absolutely powerful painting he’d finished and left on the porch. I was guessing that he’d left it out to dry or something. So, I asked Jerome what the deal was with the painting he had left outside. Without so much as a slight hesitation he said, “Oh, that’s just junk, I was experimenting with a new medium, and I tried painting on a piece of Masonite.” Well, being the junk collector that I am, I quickly asked if I could claim what I thought to be a beautifully created piece of art. He said, “Sure, bring it in and I’ll sign it for you”. That ‘piece of junk’ became my treasure.
Today, many are awed when they enter the Thunderbird Casino at Concho and see the painted ceiling by my friend, the great Jerome Bushyhead. Artists like Jerome are such a strong part of our world.
It was an honor to see Jerome Bushyhead in moments of his creative genius. His gift of art remains to bless us all.”
“Indian Night Song” by Jerome Bushyhead
More from Roy Ramirez: The Simple Things are the Best
A friend loves at all times…
Proverbs 17:17
Roy states:
“The simple things are the best. That could have been the message shared between Jerome and I the final time I saw him.
Jerome was in the hospital for an extended stay. I went by just to visit for a while. Among the usual talk of TV days and pleasantries, the conversation turned to the season of the year. We both related that when we were growing up, this season (summer) was always our favorite. You could find fresh vegetables and fruit on almost any corner in the country towns where we grew up.
Soon we were thinking about how good watermelons tasted, cantaloupe smelled, how juicy the bite into fresh peach was, and even embarrassing moments caused because of eager eating habits and stains from the fresh, juicy garden treats . After a while the conversation waned , and a silence fell. Jerome drifted off into a deep sleep. While I sat there watching him and noticing his intermittent, irregular breathing… I felt the time was growing near for this dear friend to claim his place in glory. I decided that we’d continue our conversation when he woke up again, so I sat quietly at his side.
About 45 minutes passed, Jerome stirred a little, opened his eyes and said, ” You know, I’d love to have some watermelon… oh and a hot dog too… with everything on it!” Jerome fought diabetes for most of his life, but I guess he also sensed his time coming and wanted to make the most of the time he had left. No sooner said than done. Within an hour Trina (my wife) and I made a run to a local grocery store, and of course, to Coit’s for the hot dogs. We returned to the room and shared a wonderful meal with Jerome and of course, more memories . You’d think we’d just placed a chunk of gold in his hands with the meal we presented. Jerome made us feel so very special that day, just by doing something so very simple.
More than ever, I realized it was the “simple things” that I would always remember as the best of times with my brother, Jerome.”
Jerome Bushyhead enjoys conversation with a friend…
~
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24
MacArthur on Being a Soldier and a Father
I recently bought a book called “Wisdom of Our Fathers” written by the late Tim Russert. I admired him a lot & the book is not disappointing me. I want to share part of a letter from the book with you. Beginning on Page 37, Tim wrote: “President Harry Truman & General Douglas MacArthur were bitter rivals, to the point where Truman relieved MacArthur of his command during the Korean war. And yet both men – the common man who found himself in a position of great power, where he had to make uncommonly hard decisions, & the feisty and brilliant military leader – were heroes to my dad.
When I was twelve, General MacArthur gave a speech at West Point that became an instant classic, especially in our neighborhood. Dad referred to it often, and to this day whenever I hear the word ‘honor ‘ I think of MacArthur. His subject that day was “Duty, Honor, Country” – the motto of the United States Military Academy. To some people, MacArthur told the cadets, those words were just a slogan. “But these are some of the things they do,” MacArthur said. “They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation’s defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, & brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid.” It was a great speech, & I’m sorry it isn’t better known today.
~
After ‘Big Russ & Me’ (his first book) was published, one of my readers sent me a quote from General MacArthur that he thought I might enjoy. “By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact,” MacArthur said. “But I am prouder – infinitely prouder – to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build, the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battlefield but in the home, repeating with him our simple daily prayer, Our Father Who Art in Heaven…”
A soldier destroys in order to build…
…the father only builds, never destroys.
–General Douglas MacArthur, Advice:
I realize that advice is worth what it costs — that is, NOTHING!
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, Age:
I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul.
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, on Age:
You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, on Parenting:
A Prayer For My Son Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory…Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength. Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain..
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, on Propaganda:
Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear — kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor — with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant funds demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real.
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, A Soldier Speaks: Public Papers and Speeches of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, 1965 – Surrender:
There is not one incident in the history of humanity in which defeatism led to peace which was anything other than a complete fraud.
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, Reminiscences, pp. 216–17 (1964), [speech to the people of the Philippines, on Leyte], October 17, 1944:
People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of the Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil…. The hour of your redemption is here…. Rally to me…. As the lines of battle roll forward to bring you within the zone of operations, rise and strike. Strike at every favorable opportunity. For your homes and hearths, strike! For future generations of your sons and daughters, strike! In the name of your sacred dead, strike! Let no heart be faint. Let every arm be steeled. The guidance of Divine God points the way. Follow in His name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory.
~
–General Douglas MacArthur, In his speech to the Republican Party Convention, October, 1962 – WAR:
“In war there is no substitute for victory.”
http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/veterans.html
Four Gifted Sons: Doc’s Legacy Lives On…
Cheryl writes: “No finer people were there than the likes of Doc and Charlotte. And I say the same for their sons, featured in this great article below, published May 5, 2001. Doc’s sons carry the gifts of their father – each with their own unique styles and interests – each carving out their own place. But their father and mother’s influences are apparent in all that they do. I have a special place in my heart for Tim and his family, as we have gotten to know each other at different events through the years. Their kindness and friendship has been something I place great value on. And what a fine man Tim is – he has his father’s gentleness and his talent continues to amaze me, as does the talent of all the brothers. I’ve also had the pleasure of doing past events with Sonny and getting to know him. I just cannot say enough good things about this family. If one could bottle up all the talent that this family has been blessed with, there would not be enough warehouses in the universe to store it all.” (Below: Doc, working on one of his masterfully-made flutes in his workshop.)
Cheryl states,”It has been a blessing and great honor to be acquainted with this fine and talented family.”
Peyote Singer by Tim Nevaquaya
Canku Ota (Many Paths)
http://turtletrack.org/Issues01/Co05052001/CO_05052001_Brothers.htm
An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
May 5, 2001 – Issue 35
Four brothers raised in Apache, Ok. are following in their father’s footsteps — and emerging from his shadow.
Above: Calvert Nevaquaya displays some of his three-dimensional art in March 2001 in Apache, Okla.
Each of the sons of the late Doc Tate Nevaquaya, renowned Native American artist and flutist, has traveled the broad trail their father pioneered.
The journey began in the 1950s as they were exposed on a daily basis, to his paintings depicting Indian history and music he played on the flutes he carved.
Each of the brothers — Tim, Lean ‘Sonny’, Edmond and Calvert — has chosen a path down the trail cleared for them 50 years ago.
With their own unique talents in oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics and flute carving, they’re still developing their places in the art world which is slowing drawing them out of their father’s silhouette.
“All of our children grew up surrounded by their dad’s paintings. They sat down at the dinner table and they looked at his work,” recalled their mother Charlotte Nevaquaya.
Crystal Gayle with two of Doc’s sons at the Native American Music Awards
“Doc knew all the Native American stories from the 1800s and he painted them their entire lives. There was no way they couldn’t have been influenced by the stories he told them.”
Tim was the first of the Nevaquaya brothers to set off on the art trail.
“When I was 3, in 1969, I remember seeing a television announcing the astronauts had walked on the moon,” said Tim. “I ran to my room and grabbed a pencil and paper and never stopped drawing.”
Tim recalled how painting came to him through a nightly ritual with Doc Tate.
“When my father painted in his studio, I would fall asleep at his feet watching him,” Tim said. “He would tell me stories as he painted free people, beautiful sunsets, land and horses.”
In the beginning, at age 13, Tim received his first oil set — he’s the only one of the four brothers who use oils — from his father and painted several items with him, Doc Tate painted people and Tim painted sunsets.
“My father was my teacher, I was his apprentice with flutes and silhouettes,” said Tim. “He taught me that the only way to do a silhouette is to explore it and advance it. This is something I will carry with me throughout my art career.”
Later, he developed his own talent for making his paintings come to life.
“I’d put on tapes of Indian music and I would become the dancer and flute player I was painting. At other times, I became the warrior,” Tim explained.
“This is what came out on my canvas.”
In other art his favorite subject — thunderstorms.
“If he could be a storm-chaser, he would,” said his wife Sandra. “He’ll say to me, ‘let’s go and see the sunset or follow that storm.’ He thinks thunderstorms are beautiful. He creates a beautiful painting depicting it after he sees it.”
Tim’s flute making also is inspired by his father.
“When I make my flutes I use cedar because it gets you fired up. You see designs form in the wood. I can’t go to sleep because I’m thinking about it,” Tim said.
Like his brother Tim, Edmond also began art at 13 but started at the opposite end of the trail from Tim. He was playing the flute with his father long before he started painting with watercolors in 1995.
Edmond didn’t paint with his father; rather he asked his father to critique his work after it was completed and before he sold it.
“I’d see my dad with my piece and I was amazed at how he’d grab a rush and go along and add one small touch and it would make a difference in the world,” said Edmond.
Edmond realized that his father knew best.
“I decided early on that the best thing I could do was follow in the footsteps of the path my father had already paved for me,” Edmond said. “Even today I get stuck on an idea and I look at photos of my dad and his prints and they always inspire me to go on.”
Calvert, the youngest of the brothers didn’t being his journey down the trail until after Doc Tate’s death. “I never sat with Dad or had his assistance with my art. I just learned from his work. He had movement and motion in his art,” Calvert said.
Though Doc Tate is known for a traditional flat base style, Calvert is trying a three-dimensional style.
“My art is detail-oriented and my colors are different than what dad would have done,” Calvert said. “I want people to recognize me as Calvert Nevaquaya when they think of my art, not as Doc Tate’s son. I’m proud of my dad, but I want to prove myself based on my talent, not his.”
Sonny, the oldest of the four sons, lives in Hollywood, Florida. He painted in the 70’s, but his primary focus today is flute music.
“I was always astonished with my father’s music. It magnetized me to him. All the sudden I’d hear his music and it did something to me,” Sonny said.
“Whenever I speak about music, I always tell people that if it weren’t for my father I wouldn’t be where I was,” Sonny said. “I carry this with me wherever I go.”
“Whenever I speak about music, I always tell people that if it weren’t for my father I wouldn’t be where I was,” Sonny said. “I carry this with me wherever I go.”
” Comanche Buffalo “ 18″ x 24″ oil on canvas
” Dance With The Wind “ 28″ X 22″ oil on canvas
Tim Nevaquaya is a full-blood Comanche Indian living in southwest Oklahoma. Tim’s art provides you with a visual opportunity to experience the uniqueness of his Native environment and painting style – ethereal and spiritual with inherently traditional imagery.
Michael McCormick Gallery
106C Paseo del Pueblo Norte
Taos, New Mexico 87571
(800) 279-0879 – (575) 758-1372
asm2002 SPIRIT OF THE FLUTE – Lean “Sonny” Nevaquaya
Textural Native American flute music from the eldest son of the late Commanche artist and musician Doc Tate Nevaquaya. Lean’s handcrafted traditional instruments and evocative melodies fill vast reverberant spaces with power and grace as he infuses every note with an honest, contemplative quality.
Order asm2002CD from amazon.com
Native American Tube: Tim Nevequaya
Mar 31, 2008 … Video: Tim Nevaquaya, comanche musician, flute maker, and artist from Oklahoma. … Popular: nation TIm flute Nevaquaya artist comanche …
natube.magnify.net/item/J9XW9M0ZT4TF9K9J – 72k – Cached – Similar pages
natube.magnify.net/item/J9XW9M0ZT4TF9K9J – 72k – Cached – Similar pages
Sonny Nevaquaya – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flute Players
Sonny Nevaquaya brings the art and spirit of Native American Flute playing to a new level. Peaceful, Inspirational images fill the air in the presence of …
http://www.geocities.com/wagnuka/playerswav.htm – 13k
http://www.geocities.com/wagnuka/playerswav.htm – 13k
On the Passing of Elders
“Grandmother” by Denny Haskew
…on the Passing of Elders
You sit still among us, Brother (Sister), your person retains its usual resemblance, and continues similar to ours, without any visible deficiency, except that it has lost the power of action. But whither is that breath flown, which a few hours ago sent up smoke to the Great Spirit? Why are those lips silent, that lately delivered to us expressive and pleasing language? Why are those feet motionless, that a short time ago were fleeter than the deer on yonder mountains? Why useless hang those arms that could climb the tallest tree, or draw the toughest bow? Alas! Every part of that frame which we lately beheld with admiration and wonder, is now become as inanimate as it was three hundred years ago. We will not, however, bemoan thee as if thou was for ever lost to us, or that thy name would be buried in oblivion; thy soul yet lives in the great Country of Spirits, with those of thy nation that are gone before thee; and though we are left behind to perpetuate thy flame, we shall one day join thee. Actuated by the respect we bore thee while living, we now come to tender to thee the last act of kindness it is in our power to bestow: that thy body might not lie neglected on the plain, and become a prey to the beasts of the field, or the fowls of the air, we will take care to lay it with those of thy predecessors who are gone before thee; hoping at the same time, that thy spirit will feed with their spirits, and be ready to receive ours when we also shall arrive at the great Country of Souls.
…funeral oration
More from Roy Ramirez on KRPT “Indians to Indians for SW Oklahoma” Radio Show
Roy Ramirez shared:
“I had the honor of being one of Jerome’s Pall Bearers at the service. I hold the honor blanket the family presented me as a special gift and treasure . The honor blanket, along with his hat and other special items the family passed to me are held in ‘a place of honor’ in my home. I was unable to attend the dinner afterwards due to a commercial I was taping the next morning in Dallas. As a result I missed that special event.
Roy shares, “Before I met Jerome…”
I’d started my radio career by ‘being one of the first on the air’ in Anadarko on station KRPT. One of the programs we instituted was the “Indians to Indians for Southwest Oklahoma” program. It was amazing to see as many as 40 performers and singers arrive and perform live in a space about 30 X 30 feet each Saturday. That’s where I first met artists like Doc Tate, Woogie, and Lincoln Tartsa.
One of the hosts, Louis Satoka, was also an artist. He and the other host, a gentleman named Adolphus Goombi, would be exchanging friendly jabs at each other and soon they’d start comparing tribal talents. Adolphus would make a statement about the Wichita tribe and Louis would jab back at Adolphus’ tribe (Caddo, as best recalled). Each would claim to have the highest number of champion dancers, best singers, and most talented artists.
They’d go on by saying, ‘our tribe has this artist, that dancer and etc., etc…’ A number of times I’d hear Jerome’s name pop up in the conversation. I never asked who he was. It never really seemed to matter at that time. One Saturday, as the group was filing in, they were discussing the upcoming Oklahoma State Fair. They said that they were expecting to try and do a live show from the fairgrounds, if it could all be arranged. Also, they’d need permission from the fair and Jerome Bushyhead. In trying to put it together, I had to make contacts in Oklahoma City. So, I asked, “Who is Jerome Bushyhead and how will I recognize him? They both looked at each other, kind of smiled and chuckled, then turned to me and said, “You’ll know him once you see him.”
The show from the state fair never developed any further than the talking stage. As Jerome might say, “Indian time took over, and it was not to be.” So, I missed that early opportunity to meet my brother. When we finally did meet, this six foot ten and a half inch massive giant, proved to be the most sincere, gentle person I had ever met.”
BOOK: A Companion to the Anthropology of American Indians Written By Thomas Biolsi
an excerpt from the book: …. One might consider, for example, how the recording industry and broadcast radio have affected the process of adaptation and change. In southwestern Oklahoma, for instance, every Saturday morning, the radio station KRPT hosts a show entitled “Indians for Indians,” which often features Indian music of all kinds and styles. Kiowa and other native singers often use the medium to introduce the latest singing group, share new songs, or present alternate song renditions. Similarly, many American Indian communities have their own radio stations (such as Navajo Nation Radio KTNN) where negotiations about the adaptations and changes of music (in addition to a host of other issues) are played out on a daily basis….
A Companion to the Anthropology of American Indians – Google Books Result
| by Thomas Biolsi – 2004 – Social Science – 567 pages In southwestern Oklahoma, for instance, every Saturday morning, the radio station KRPThosts a show entitled “Indians for Indians,” which often features … books.google.com/books?isbn=0631226869… |
A note from Cheryl: I’m not sure if this is the Adolphus Goombi that Roy spoke of, but thought it was worth noting:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okcaddo/cemeteries/ftcobbak.txt
This information is offered FREE and taken from http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcaddo/ccpage.htm
================================================
Fort Cobb, Caddo County, Oklahoma
Canvassed by Jim & Pat Tustison 2003.
The Caddo County Genealogical Society has
digital pictures for this cemetery on file
=================================================
SURNAME, GIVEN NAME – BIRTH DATE – DEATH DATE
Goombi, Adolphus: 01 Apr 1910 – 04 Mar 1987
Cheryl Davis\' Art Blog 
