Never tried to sell Jer Bear as a bluesman. But I honestly can't think of anyone who was as lyrical and melodic with an axe in freeform jam as he was with the possible exception of David Gilmour.

And IMO, Pigpen was the heart and soul of the best bluesy jamming the Dead ever did, not Garcia.

It will be good to get back on the road this week - Friday's 5K was horrendous.

Off to help my daughter clean her car.

Rich ran cross country in high school..always hoped his father would come and watch him..but his father never came...his parents divorcing early in his life..He was raised by his Aunt and Grandmother in San Angelo Texas. He promised himself that if he ever had a son he would always be there for him. His son would be a runner too. In 1994 he was blessed with a son Sam. Born premature @ 2pds with a rare genetic anomaly called 22q13 Deletion Syndrome. Only the eighth person in the world born with it. Sam is now 13 with severe limitations and the mentality of a 3yr old.

After high school Rich stopped running..got a job as a computer programmer and dedicated himself to a church and dealt with his challenges..he drank 8 Cokes a day and downed ice cream by the gallon. He was overweight and out of shape. About 8 years ago he attended the Falmouth seven mile race in Massachusetts and it changed his life. He ran across Dick and Rick Hoyt. Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 with cerebral palsy. Can't walk or talk. His father wanted him to know what it felt like to run, and he began to push him in races. Dick Hoyt has since pushed his son in more than 950 races, 6 Ironman Tri and 65 marathons, Boston amoung them. In the swimming portions of the tri's Rick sits in a boat while his father (67yrs old) swims and pulls him with a rope tied to his waist.

"You could just feel the love they had for each other" Rich Lomas said. "They built a connection through running". On Dec 31, 2005 Lomas set a goal, he wanted his son to experience a triathlon. On Jan 1,2006, at age 39 Lomas ran a couple of miles by his house. In May he finished The Oscar Shere State Park 5K in 21:32 ( I ran that race, couple of minutes behind Rich of course).4 months after he began running Lomas turned in a 16:03 at a %k race in Bradenton.Fl. The third fastest time in the state for his age group that year. Lomas wears a 22q13 T-shirt to races. Lomas' original goal was to push his son in a triathlon like Dick Hoyt, but that plan has been altered a little. "The way he was with his son, I want to be with my son" Lomas said. "Im just taking a little detour right now. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be running a 16:03". He is now focused on going under the 16 minute mark in the 5K, and he knows the window of opportunity is closing fast on a man whose 41 years old. And if it doesn't happen it's OK with Rich. Lomas' long estranged father has returned to his life , and Rich plans on competing with his son in their first triathlon together in August.

Where do you get your facts?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (or in this case the truth), but you are sadly misinformed. And the totality of your statement is dumbfounding. There is no DOD policy as to ipod (or any other headphone) use banning them from all bases. Any such decision would be left up to the Base CO - and every one of the ones I listed DO NOT BAN HEADPHONE USE during exercise.

Now I realize that I only served for 24 years and there is a non-zero chance that I may be wrong, but .00000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 is a pretty small chance.

So unless you can cite an instruction number (DODINST XXXX.XX dtd XXMonthXX) you better do some deeper research before you post again.

Department of Defense

INSTRUCTION

NUMBER 6055.4

July 20, 1999

DUSD(ES)

SUBJECT: DoD Traffic Safety Program

6.6 Use of Headphones, Earphones. The wearing of portable headphones,

earphones, or other listening devices while operating a motor vehicle and while

jogging/running, bicycling or skating or skate boarding on roads and streets on DoD

installations is prohibited. Use of those devices impairs driving and masks or prevents

recognition of emergency signals, alarms, announcements, the approach of vehicles,

and human speech.

Actually it does matter very much what the race instructions say..that the reason runners are on the base in the first place...they were invited to pay money and run on the facility...base on advertised information....if the public is invited to an air show and the information says you can bring your cameras..and the base policy is no cameras..then the rule for that day is cameras...What is offered does apply...Military bases make their own rules...but when they invite civilians those rules can change...This is the same double speak we have dealt with here..There is also a vaguely worded directive from the USATF regarding headphones that most RD's promptly ignored..I have run in Military sponsered races on bases with an ipod and there was no restriction ever mentioned..most or all of the Military sponsered races I can find on the internet are the same...did you check out the races RK and I provided..if we are incorrect please advise..

Did you deliberately only paint a part of the picture?

Straight from your provided instruction number..........

Para 6 : Procedures

The Heads of the Military Departments shall incorporate the following requirements into their traffic safety programs:

6.6 Use of Headphones, Earphones. The wearing of portable headphones, earphones, or other listening devices while operating a motor vehicle and while jogging/running, bicycling or skating or skate boarding on roads and streets on DoD installations is prohibited. Use of those devices impairs driving and masks or prevents recognition of emergency signals, alarms, announcements, the approach of vehicles, and human speech.

My emphasis added in red.

However, OPNAVINST 5100.12G 7 Feb 01, Paragraph 7.d. more clearly states that "....use of these devices on designated bicycle and running paths and sidewalks is permitted."

So the totality of your statement was incorrect. Ipods and other such listening devices are allowed on base, just as long as you don't run in the road with them. Of course, local commanders can always implement more restrictive requirements.

I googled, albeit slowly. The lead-in directing specific branch of service instruction lead me to check the OPNAVINST.

It's pretty clear to me that ipods can be used on base under certain conditions unless the base commander has specific installation level instructions directing otherwise.

And I almost forgot, thank you for your service.

Be Well.