VFTWT S01E09: Veterans Day Special
Welcome to the public show notes for VFTWT season 1, episode 9
Air Date: 2021.11.07
Introduction:
Welcome to “Views From the World Tree.” On today’s episode we take a look at the history of the upcoming Veteran’s Day holiday, how it came to be, and what our feelings are on what it represents.
Personal News:
Adam:
- My wife and I got a new puppy this week.
- This is Skye, she is a 10 week old Border Collie. Our first dog, Syl (also a Border Collie), was named after a book character, and for our second dog we wanted a more traditional name, so we named her after the isle in northern Scotland where the border collie breed comes from. We felt that the name fit especially well since she has sky-blue eyes.
Steven:
- I am still plugging away at “Rewilding” and I have to admit that I really enjoy the idea of sitting and just being present.
- I find that many of my worries melt away when I take the time to sit and be.
- Started another book “Paddle Your Own Canoe” by Nick Offerman.
- Dry and sarcastic sense of humor makes me chuckle.
- He made a point in the book where he suggested that everyone should find themselves a hobby where they use their hands.
- No greater joy than seeing something you created go from mind’s eye to physically there
- cooking, drawing, woodworking, canoe paddle making, gardening, etc…
- I really like this idea of having a tangible hobby because I have found greater joy in gardening or my artwork than I ever did playing the latest video game or listening to the latest song. I am not saying that media consumption is bad but I am saying that creating something yourself does seem to bring a greater joy than consuming something that someone else has created.
Current Events:
Adam:
- Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) believed to be extinct a year and a half ago has been spotted on the slopes of a Maui volcano.
- “A Life on Our Planet” – Netflix documentary by Sir David Attenborough.
- Orkney Isles have too much renewable energy – there are a few cables that run from the Scottish mainland but they were designed to carry a very small amount of power from Scotland to the isles and they can’t dump enough power back to the mainland. They have started using the excess electricity to split seawater and generate hydrogen to fuel the cargo ships and ferries.
Steven:
- Extreme Ice Melting in Greenland – 11/1/21 University of Leeds
- Last ten years 3.5 trillion tons of ice has melted from the island into the oceans
- Enough to cover an area the size of Manhattan with 4.5 km (almost 3 miles) of water.
- Raised global sea level by 1 cm (approx.. 1/2 “ ) of water.
- Glacial runoff from Greenland likely to contribute 3 – 23 cm ( 1” – 9”) of sea level rise by 2100
- I spent a week in Malibu this last summer and have to say that you can really start to see the effects of glacial melting along our coastal areas.
- Houses with beach access stairs covered to the top with sand
- disappearing beaches
- trees dying from salt poisoning
Main Topic:
- On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month a treaty was signed that ended World War One. This armistice day was supposed to end the war that would end all wars.
- 1954: President Eisenhower changed the holiday’s name to Veterans day to honor all veterans of all wars
- 1954-1975 the holiday was moved to the second Monday in November, because money, but was eventually moved back to armistice day.
- Canada, UK, Aus, and the other British commonwealths celebrate remembrance day over the weekend leading up to Armistice day, France still celebrates on Armistice day.
- In the United States and other parts of the world many churches ring their bells 21 times starting at the 11th hour on November 11th.
- 21 comes from the 21 gun salute which originated in the 14th century when warships would fire their munitions into the sea to show that they had no hostility. British warships had 7 cannons on their decks and 21 came from the fact that a naval base could fire three shots for every one fired from the ocean. Also possibly biblical in meaning with the sacredness of the numbers 7 and 3 found throughout the text
Today’s American Veterans
- 18.2 million living Vets
- 9% identify as female
- 7 million served during the Vietnam War
- 3 million served during the War on Terrorism
- 325,000 WWII vets still living (as of 2020 when the article was written)
- 2 million served during the Korean War
- Virginia, Wyoming, and Alaska have the highest percentage of their population who are veterans.
Adam’s thoughts on honoring the veterans
Steven’s thoughts on honoring the veterans
Mindfulness Moment:
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, poem/song from Les Miserables
Next Episode Sneak Peek:
Next week we will be discussing conspiracy theories again. This time, the theory that life as we know if is a computer simulation, a-la The Matrix.
Where to Connect, Social Media, etc.:
- Send an email to podcast@viewsfromtheworldtree.com or message us through one of our social media accounts.
- If you have a moment, we would appreciate if you could leave us a rating on iTunes or your podcast app of choice. It makes a huge difference especially for new podcasts.