Lloyd, Les, Ron and Paul’s Great Adventure

If you’re interested in knowing more about the River Thames in England, you might find this link fascinating.

Ron&Lloyd&Less&Pauls Great Adventure

While studying abroad in 1964-5, I and my fellow students decided to explore the river via canoe- from the source to London.

The PowerPoint presentation, created by Les Pitton has been uploaded as HTML.

Lacking GoreTex, Neoprene, Polypro, and real kayaks, we settled for fiberglass covered birch canoes, weighing in a 150 pounds.

By the account of the last lock keeper on the River, the last guy who had done this trip was a US Airman during WWII; but he started in Cricklade, missing the great fun of hauling his canoe over lad about 11 miles.

How about this statistic?

Smoking isn't the biggest global health threat. Bad diets are. A new study published in the Lancet reviewed the diets of people living in 195 countries and found that some 800 million people around the world can't get enough to eat while 1.9 billion people weigh too much.

The World's six best doctors...worth reading twice

While this essay was wrongly attributed to Steve Jobs, it’s still a pretty good mantra for life...meaning, you would spend everything you have to get your health back, assuming that money was no object. No one is guaranteed happiness. The Declaration of Independence warrants the pursuit of happiness as an unalienable right.  Read on.

I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In some others' eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death.

You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it's lost - Life. Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down.

Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down - you go down with it.

Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, that is true happiness! Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price. Eat your food as your medicine, otherwise you have to eat medicine as your food.

The one who loves you will never leave you for another because, even if there are 100 reasons to give up, he or she will find a reason to hold on. There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, you have to manage!

"The six best doctors in the world are sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends. Maintain them in all stages and enjoy a healthy life."