Flight or Flight or Freeze

(This is a reprinted article by Donovan Walls) (2020)

Human beings aren’t so different from the many types of creatures that roam the planet, One of the universal traits shared by so many species is this. Fight or flight or freeze.

In a situation that presents danger, living creatures will perform one of these actions. Fight, meaning we leap into action and confrontation. Flight, meaning we try to remove ourselves from the danger. Freeze, where we are facing an unfamiliar situation and do nothing.

As the last several thousand years of recorded history has shown, humans have yet to grow beyond these basic instincts. It’s a part of who we are.

The brilliance comes in exploiting this mindset in a military situation. Consider a classic military tactic.

 Encirclement.

The idea of encirclement is simple. Use your forces to surround an enemy and isolate them. Cut off their means of supplying themselves with material and reinforcement. Strangle them as you make sure that you don’t run low on supplies. It’s classic thinking for military warfare, especially in regards to sieges.

But I want you to think of that in terms of what I just told you. “Fight, flight or freeze”.

If you take away an enemy’s ability to retreat, you are actually giving them a subtle advantage.

ESPN Trivia

                                                                                                       

Did you know?

• ESPN was incorporated on July 14th, 1978. 
• The original vision was to broadcast sports in the Connecticut area. 
• When researching broadcasting options it was discovered that satellite's were cheaper than regional coverage and 24-hour satellite access was cheaper than regular platform channels. (Satellite was first used by HBO in 1975)
• Bristol was picked as the headquarters because the land was fairly cheap, ($18,000) because it was located on a dump and because the satellite feed was unhindered at the location.

"Art Is A Lie That Tells The Truth."

Picasso once said, "Art is a lie that tells the truth." The reason I like this quote was beside Picasso being one of my favorite painters, he is the creator of one of my favorite paintings. The painting is, "In Mandolin and Guitar". And the reason I like this painting is the mystery behind this creation . . .

Some people allude that in this painting Picasso honors his poet friend, Apollinaire as well as mocking his rival (Matisse) who was attempting his own attempt at Cubism. Let's check it out together . . . 

My Favorite National Parks

This list is mostly made up of personal reflection and memories of visits to my favorite National Parks. I would also be remiss if I didn't express my gratitude to my parents who made traveling a major priority during my childhood / teenage years. (With varying degrees of gratitude and appreciation depending on my age and mood at the time) So with no further ado, here is a list of my favorite National Parks. And yes, these are in a particular order - starting with my favorite park.

1) Great Smoky Mountains National Park - What can you say about a National Park that already has the name "Great" in the title? This is not only the most visited National Park in the United States, but in my opinion it is also the most awe-inspiring and interesting park. But the beautiful scenery, as breathtaking as it is, is not what makes this park so special to me. Picture a place in your mind that inspires countless memories and is a favorite go-to place in my mind where I can get lost for hours.