This is show #3 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 people to read and study. Enjoy. :)Learn more about Ruth St. Denis here: https://www.jacobspillow.org/about/pillow-history/ruth_st_denis/

These are my personal observations of a small family owned business in Burbank, CA. I was there last night when the police and fire department showed up amidst the political firestorm over the City of Burbank demanding restaurants and certain businesses close without providing scientific proof to validate the mandates. I literally watched history in the making last night. Here's my story and their story. #thelongroadshow

California is opening schools, but they won't look anything like regular schools. Students who opt for "in-person" learning will be in hybrid groups only going to school a couple of days per week for limited hours. While on campus, they must mask, distance, and many will be encased in three-side plexiglass containers. There are many serious issues here from extended mask use to hygiene and cleaning standards for plexiglass to social and psychological concerns. Many students are deciding to just stay remote and socialize on their own after school. Let's examine a few of these issues today and put ourselves into the minds of our children. #thelongroadshow

Most men in America used to have tools and know how to use them. Hand tools like screwdrivers, hammers, and wrenches. Power tools like saws, drills, and sanders. There are many benefits to using tools in manual arts from the utilitarian standpoint as well as to develop the brain and cognitive abilities plus it can also be a way to teach life skills and lessons of social responsibility to children as you "repair" instead of "replace" broken items and as you "create" an object for use instead of merely "consuming" through another purchase. Here are a few thoughts on the values of analog in the modern era and for a better future and more mentally stable society too. #thelongroadshow

There are so many things being ignored today that have been critically important to the development of mankind and culture. It seems so obvious to me that ignoring them will never produce a positive long-term result, yet, we continue to ignore what seems to me and a few others to be obvious. Here are some thoughts and history on: borders, business, schools, churches, music, sports, PE, and free money.

More poetry reading from the 1932 book by Ruth St Denis entitled, "Lotus Light" as well as the reading of a letter she wrote in 1964 called, "The Prophets" which was from my special holdings library collection archives. My library archives are quite off the radar, and you're likely never to hear them unless I share...enjoy the dance and life arts of RSD again. She's worth the listen.

Obesity has been in the COVID news a lot this past week. The higher COVID death rates are being found in the countries with higher levels of obesity like in the USA. Obviously, people are drastically overweight, but what is the real problem? A lot of the problem is a lack of physical literacy that begins in early childhood. Hear me out. Start thinking--and start observing how people walk and move...then listen to the show again.

I'm happy to share some of the poetry of modern dance icon Ruth St. Denis from her amazing poetry book, "Lotus Light" which was 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 people to read and study. Enjoy. :)Learn more about Ruth St. Denis here: https://www.jacobspillow.org/about/pillow-history/ruth_st_denis/

I read a book as a child that changed my life forever. The book was, "Winners Never Quit" by Phil Pepe published in 1968. It was a book written for men. It was a book about being mentally and physically tough--with grit, courage, and determination. Vince Lombardi wrote the foreward and introduction which was too good not to share. As our youth suffer today, many without sports and in-person learning, let us look back on history...the importance or reading a book for inspiration and playing sports is difficult to quantitate, yet we know for sure--both are important.

There are many benefits to failing. Too often today, we remove the opportunity for children to fail. By making it easier for them, we actually make it harder and remove an important building block of success--the FORCE developed by failures! Here are a couple of my early educational failures that drove me to success as a scholar.

It's "World Teen Mental Wellness Day" today on March 2, 2021. I got to thinking about the mental health issues with lockdowns and children with learning disabilities and thought it would be helpful to share my own learning disability struggles in the hope to inspire a better understanding and empathy for kids that are suffering these last few months. Children with learning disabilities and their families are really suffering with remote learning...here are a few things to think about.

I walk you through another one of my vintage physical fitness books associated with the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. This booklet was published in 1965 and includes some amazing support comments by Presidents Nixon and Kennedy plus sport, education, and medical leaders too. I have put the booklet into public domain. You can download the PDF version here: https://archive.org/details/1965-physical-fitness-for-a-stronger-america-pcpfs/mode/2up

In 1967, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports published an important newsletter titled, "Activities to Promote Fitness of Elementary School Age Children." The newsletter had great points, so I read the first two pages then gave context clues to their main points and some of the important history behind them. I have placed this Physical Fitness newsletter into the public domain: https://archive.org/details/1967-activities-to-promote-fitness-of-elementary-school-age-children-pcpfs

The Czech Sokols were the best example of classical physical education since ancient Greece. In 1965, the USPS marked their 100th Anniversary in the United States with a special commemorative stamp. What was written about the Sokols and celebrated nationally with the stamp is worth commenting. I have placed my Sokol stamp archive images into public domain which can be accessed here: https://archive.org/details/1965-sokol-stamp-usps-3

People keep asking me, "Why aren't we doing this today?" They are asking a rational question--with the overwhelming amount of data and history on the values of being healthy and physically fit--why are we not teaching this to our children in today's American schools? Great question. I don't have the answer, but I do share a 1983 national viewpoint of the values of physical fitness by the US Postal Service who quotes President John F. Kennedy. You can download the USPS Physical Fitness Stamp Commemoratives here: https://archive.org/details/1983-usps-american-commemoratives-physical-fitness-stamps-usps

I'm from Bakersfield, CA which has a rich history in music beyond just country and western. Legendary Sax player Richie Perez just passed away, and I got to thinking about how cool it was to see him play LIVE with REAL people and how important music is to our overall health and well-being. Music heals our souls. Thanks Richie and everyone else who contributed to the "Bakersfield Sound" that changed the world.

The history of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic is rarely cited in the media or commented on by politicians, but when it is, it's often innaccurate. I break down a recent Fox News article step by step to expose the misinformation and misrepresentation of the facts. For more history on the 1918 Pandemic in America, visit the largest digital pandemic database in the world published by the CDC and University of Michigan: https://www.influenzaarchive.org/index.html

There are "Ten Essentials" everyone should know before day hiking and a few other important areas to ensure your best experience. For more information, you can print off my "Day Hiking Checklist" at the following link:https://www.ronjones.org/Handouts/Hikes/Hike-Checklist.pdf

The vitriol expressed after Rush Limbaugh's recent death bothered me. Let's discuss behaviors and take a lesson from Supreme Court Justices Ginsburgh and Scalia who often opposed each other in court but never in friendship. "The First Amendment doesn't give anybody the right to be heard. People don't have to listen to you." -Rush Limbaugh

Important discussion on the mental stability and physical issues developing due to school cancellations and absence of youth sport programs.