Why Whiskey?

Greetings friends! In this episode, I sit down and chat about our new backyard and the latest location of the #BOQLC. Battle Creek Michigan has a fun story to tell from the origin of its name to the crowning of its title of "Cereal City USA". The town served as a health and wellness and also concealed a stop along the Underground Railroad. Come with me as I sip some local whiskies and talk about this quaint little city with a big story. Cheers!

Sources:

https://hsbcmi.org/cpage.php?pt=11

https://www.battlecreekmi.gov/377/History

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sojourner-truth

https://www.biography.com/activist/sojourner-truth

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/educate/truth.html

https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/womens-rights-pioneers-monument - the recent monument in NYC's Central Park

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/08/542145177/how-the-battling-kellogg-brothers-revolutionized-american-breakfast

https://library.uthscsa.edu/2014/05/dr-john-harvey-kellogg-inventor-of-kelloggs-corn-flakes/

https://www.history.com/the-food-that-built-america-podcast

Hi Friends! I have missed you all so much. This is not a typical episode and not launching on a typical day... this is a reintroduction to me and a bit of an explanation for my absence for nearly a year. A LOT has changed! Jesus... so grab a drink and come sit with me and catch up for a few minutes. Regular episodes will launch every other Friday starting on November 11th. Stay Tuned! Cheers.

Welcome back, nerds. Today we will focus all of our attention and energy on jumping from airplanes and not dying. The item that will make that a reality was invented a very long time ago on distant shores. Although the war against gravity has yet to be won, parachutes do help to slow down the gruesome effects that can come from that weird pull to earth. I am joined by skydiver, history dude, and former Marine (yea I know, this show cost me like four boxes of crayons) to talk about the history of parachutes, the history of skydiving, and the folks who work hard to keep us safe at the USPA. Listen to know what that acronym means!

Sources:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Medieval_Religion_and_Technology/quCh9tAW1jcC?q=veranzio&gbpv=0#f=false

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/an-early-history-of-the-parachute-951312/

http://www.parachutehistory.com/eng/drs.html

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6672/james-floyd-smith

https://www.cspa.ca/en/node/228

https://skydivingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/inductee/william-%E2%80%9Cbill%E2%80%9D-ottley

Articles:

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/2776964 Parachuting (Gideon Aran)

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41222414 Plunging to Earth: ONCE THE SPORT OF DAREDEVILS, SKYDIVING NOW OFFERS ITS EXISTENTIAL THRILLS TO GRANDMOTHERS, PUDGY GEEKS, AND EVEN THE OCCASIONAL COLLEGE PROFESSOR (Rob Zaretsky)

We are back Nerds!! Sorry for the break, I was not in any headspace to record. However, that is in the rearview and I am coming at you with a great conversation with a very special guest. 1SG(R) Justin Crawford spent over 20 years serving the nation in the Army. 15 of those years were spent as a soldier in the elite units of Special Forces. During our chat Justin and I will talk about the history of Special Forces, the process to become one, and if Hollywood gets it right when depicting these soldiers. This is a long one... so grab some drinks, buckle in and enjoy my conversation with a warrior and American Hero. Cheers.

Sources:

https://www.soc.mil/USASFC/SFhistory.html

https://afspecialwarfare.com/files/history/U.S.%20Armed%20Forces%20Beret%20History.pdf

https://www.soc.mil/SWCS/Museum/Virtual%20Reading%20Room/Authorizations%20for%20green%20beret%20-%20RFK%20speech.pdf

https://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-might-not-know-about-u-s-special-operations-forces

http://www.alamoscouts.org/

https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/-a-precarious-balance_143650124279.pdf?x91208

https://www.nps.gov/cato/learn/historyculture/oss1.htm

https://arsof-history.org/icons/bank.html

Articles:

Cooper AD, Warner SG, Rivera AC, Rull RP, Adler AB, Faix DJ, et al. (2020) Mental health, physical health, and health-related behaviors of U. S. Army Special Forces. PLoS ONE 15(6): e0233560. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0233560

MILITARY MEDICINE, 184, 7/8:e337, 2019 Medical Encounters During the United States Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course Joseph J. Knapik*†; Emily K. Farina*; SFC Christian B. Ramirez‡; Stefan M. Pasiakos*

Report Part Title: US Conventional and Special Operations Forces since World War II Report Title: A Precarious Balance Report Subtitle: Preserving the Right Mix of Conventional and Special Operations Forces Report Author(s): Phillip Lohaus American Enterprise Institute (2014) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/resrep03192.5

Friend, A., & Culbertson, S. (2020). (Rep.). Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Retrieved September 7, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep24261