Karl Blass:
CLASS OF 1963
Hazel Park High SchoolClass of 1963
Hazel park, MI
Karl's Story
A Sabre Fencing Match
Karl was Co-captain of the University of Windsor Fencing Team and his teammates had warned him about Zabadosâ ability and training. They described him as being sly and deceptive, but most importantly, that he had been trained for ten years by Coach Wach, an Olympics Fencing Coach from Waterloo, Ontario. Coach Wach had taken his best, namely Zabados, to the World College Fencing Championships.
Karl scouted his competition, but Zabadosâ fencing did not impress him. In fact, there were a number of other competitors with varying abilities and style that were of greater concern. Coach Wach directed the sabre match of Blass versus Zabados. It was a lackluster fight with little action. Zabados won the first four points and needed only one more to win the match. Karl had grossly underestimated his wily opponent, and was resigned to lose the match, as coach Wach yawned out of boredom. Zabados moved his sabre arm out of line, opening his right flank, exposing a large target. With his left hand he patted the target area with exaggerated gestures while yelling, âÂÂHit me! Hit me!â Karl was embarrassed, he thought; the nerve of him, to embarrass me in front of this small audience. Not enough that he was winning 4 â 0 and would likely win without me getting a touch. Karl was angry, fuming internally as he nodded in agreement to the target. KarlâÂÂs fencing coach, Maestro Istavan Danosi, also an Olympics Coach, had taught him to focus his anger. Anger is energy; focus all your energy upon the target. The Director, Coach Wach, said, âÂÂFence!â Karl maneuvered his opponent back and forth along the strip and made his attack. The point was on Zabadosâ flank as his late quart parry pinned the sabre tip onto his ribs. Zabados graciously acknowledged the hit for a score of 4 â 1.
Zabados closed the target area by fifty percent and again invited Karl to attack his flank. Karl nodded in agreement as he felt like he had entered a âÂÂzone stateâÂÂ. The Director said, âÂÂFence!â Karl maneuvered his opponent back and forth and attacked with an advance, lunge-slide placing the sabre tip right on target. Zabados again acknowledged the hit for a 4 -2 score.
At this point, Zabados closed the target area to normal fencing position, again inviting Karl to attack his flank. Karl nodded in agreement. Coach Wach said, âÂÂFence!â Karl was definitely in the âÂÂzone stateâ and could not miss. A quick thrust, advance lunge-slide and KarlâÂÂs sabre tip was in his opponentâÂÂs right side. Coach Wach awarded the point for a 4 â 3 score. Coach Wach appeared to be alert and no longer bored with the match.
Next, Zabados pointed to a tiny target area on his flank behind his right elbow. Karl without thinking nodded in agreement. Coach Wach had a faint smile of anticipation on his face. It was no longer a lackluster fight. But, Karl had second thoughts. Why should he attack a tiny target behind his opponentâÂÂs elbow, a target which he could not even see? His opponentâÂÂs head and shoulders were a large open target. A sabre chest cut was also available. Each was a very large target that could not be missed in the zone state. But, being indecisive could be disastrous. The Director could say fence, and his opponent would have the opportunity to take the match. Karl reasoned; he could be deceptive and take an easy point to tie the match or put it all on the line for an almost impossible target behind his opponentâÂÂs elbow. Either way, he had to make up his mind quickly or the match would be lost. As Karl had nodded in agreement to the target, as a matter of principle, he felt obligated to try for the tiny almost impossible target. Karl next tried to convince himself that he wanted to know if he could do such while in the âÂÂzone stateâÂÂ. He remembered that Coach Danosi had repeatedly said to push and test the limits of your ability in the zone state. He had made his decision. Next, he had to focus on the execution of the attack. Everything had to be perfect, both in timing and execution of each step. He mentally reviewed the final stage of his attack as Coach Wach said, âÂÂFence!â Karl made one or two advance retreats and as his opponent leaned to advance Karl made his attack with all focus on his sabre tip. He quickly pushed the handle with his thumb and pulled with his baby finger. The sabre blade cut through the air with speed, unseen by his opponent. The advance lunge followed with acceleration, the sabre tip was flung behind his opponentâÂÂs bell guard, below and along the forearm, around the elbow the tip slid into Zabadosâ lower ribs, right behind his elbow. It was perfectly executed and without his opponent being able to defend with a quart parry. Zabados did not acknowledge the hit. In fact, Zabados appeared stunned that he could not defend such a tiny target area. The score was tied at 4 â 4.
With the score tied at four hits each, KarlâÂÂs mind automatically shifted out of the zone state and back to normal. Meanwhile, the Director said, âÂÂFence!â and his opponent wisely changed tactics. Zabados controlled the distance. He kept a longer distance. Karl tried a weak advance lunge head cut, which Zabados parried. In self defense, Karl switched to a forward quint parry as Zabados reposted head, right onto KarlâÂÂs quint parry. Karl held the parry firmly and gently pushed and released with his thumb while pulling with his baby finger, thereby raising and lowering his opponentâÂÂs blade. This step was not required, but Karl caught the DirectorâÂÂs eye and showed him that he had control of the opponentâÂÂs blade as he released and crisply reposted head to win the match.
Karl advanced to a ten man finals round in the Ontario Sabre Fencing Championship held two weeks later, which he won undefeated. Immediately after the sabre finals, Coach Wach introduced Karl to the Director of Athletics for the University of Waterloo. The Director who was overseeing the foil and epee finals still in progress took Karl into the bleacher stands, and offered him the position of Fencing Coach for the University of Waterloo. Since it was KarlâÂÂs wish to complete the Ph.D. program in Clinical Chemistry at the University of Windsor under the direction Dr. Roger Thibert, Coach Wach next offered to train Karl for the Olympics. The offer required that Karl take the train from Windsor to Waterloo every Friday evening and depart for the return late Sunday. The only commitment that Coach Wach insisted upon was that Karl would train each and every weekend, the entire weekend. In return, Coach Wach offered to provide his expertise, all equipment, meals and lodging at his home fencing gymnasium. It was a most gracious offer that Karl had to decline because he knew that he could not do his best at both Ph.D. studies and Olympics training.
The Biochemist: Fiction but True* c October 2008
Three well-dressed gentlemen were having a strong 50/50 C...Expand for more
offea arabica/Coffea canephora blend on a terrace overlooking the French Riviera. The high caffeine content of their coffee blend probably made for a more lively conversation that was overheard and recorded below by Pierre, an idle middle-aged waiter.
The Canadian gentleman was tall, heavy set, but with good muscle tone and salt-and-pepper hair. He had worked in the outdoors for most of his life and he described his most brilliant board-room venture in a pulp and paper mill in New Brunswick. The man had usurped the entire pension fund of the corporation, in excess of 215 million dollars. But with the help of a very creative lawyer/negotiator he only had to repay 15 million. The lawyer had struck a deal with both government ministers and employees. Each of the employees was pressured to sign off before the townÃÂÿs only major employer could reopen.
Next was the British veterinarian, a man of average height and weight, with a strong distracting English accent, but appeared to be unpretentious. He described his part in a huge global scheme where unfit livestock was rendered and fed to people not only in England, but Eastern Europe and North America. As he said, ÃÂÿIt was ingenious and nothing went to wasteÃÂÿ. Unfit ÃÂÿdownersÃÂÿ, euthanized pets (flea collars included) and road kill animals were dumped into huge stainless steel rendering pots that were heated to over 300 degrees*1. The fats were skimmed off and added to all sorts of baked goods, the gelatin was extracted and used in jelly bean candies, etc., the proteinÃÂÿetc., etc., etc., and what was left in the pot was sold for pet food and animal feed to Eastern Europe and Canada. This in turn resulted in mad cow disease outbreaks in a number of countries. At present, it is estimated that over 5,000 people in England will succumb to mad cow disease, yet not a single person has been convicted of a crime.
The biochemist, a short lean man from New York just smiled, a smug mischievous smile with a twinkle in his dark eyes as he started his story. During the 1960ÃÂÿs margarine was sold as a health food. It was a brilliant move, but that was only the start. The margarine contained about 17% trans fatty acids. Since microorganisms could not metabolize the trans fatty acids, the margarine was stable even at room temperature. But as he said, ÃÂÿIt takes a biochemist to see all the opportunities.ÃÂÿ The trans fatty acids were isolated and added to processed food to increase shelf life. Cookies now lasted more than a year and they did not spoil. All sorts of excuses were made for adding the trans fatty acids. About four and a half percent trans fatty acids were added to butter so that it spreads more easily when it comes out of the refrigerator. Trans fatty acids were added to raisins so they would not clump. But the terms preservative and longer shelf life were avoided. Even all-natural chocolate covered ice cream bars (with purity guaranteed seal) contained trans fatty acids. One manufacturer dipped the ice cream bars in trans fatty acids prior to coating them with chocolate. Another major supplier first added trans fatty acids to melted chocolate and then dipped the ice cream bars. By the 1990ÃÂÿs, even the trans fatty acids concentration of margarine was increased from 17% to 50%. In fact, a labeling enforcement officer in Canada in 2003 stated that he did not know of a single processed food that did not contain trans fatty acids.
The biochemist repeated, ÃÂÿIt takes a biochemist to see all the opportunities.ÃÂÿ Before the 1960ÃÂÿs Mother Nature had protected women during their childbearing years. Prior to menopause women did not get heart attacks or stroke. However, after a few years of consuming trans fatty acids, women now get heart attacks and strokes just like the men. But to explain away this new development, it was simply blamed on ÃÂÿthe pillÃÂÿ. It was written in the major medical books that the pill caused the sudden rise in womenÃÂÿs heart attacks and strokes. But thatÃÂÿs not all, males also increased in heart attacks and strokes, so the entire mess was blamed on ÃÂÿbad cholesterolÃÂÿ and a whole series of cholesterol lowering medications was marketed. One of the latest, a statin sold over 12 billion dollars in prescriptions in 2004. At present children as young as ten years old are being targeted with cholesterol lowering drugs.
But, as he said, ÃÂÿIt takes a biochemist to see all the opportunities.ÃÂÿ Cholesterol is essential in the body and about half of the cholesterol is converted to bile acids that aid in the digestion of dietary fats. The other half is converted to hormones like testosterone, a hormone that is linked to sex drive. A decrease in cholesterol often results in decreased sex drive and even impotence. But, that was remedied by selling sex pills, another very lucrative market.
ÃÂÿSo you see, we had control of all processed food, cholesterol lowering drugs and the sex pill market and not a single person has been charged.ÃÂÿ*2
The veterinarian interrupted, ÃÂÿAh! But I hear thereÃÂÿs a voluntary ban on trans fatty acids because they cause heart attacks, strokes, cancer of the intestine, breast cancer, and late onset diabetes.ÃÂÿ And with the faint hint of a smile he added,ÃÂÿ Your reign is coming to a close!ÃÂÿ
The biochemist returned the smile with his mischievous smile, twitched his dark eyebrows and again said, ÃÂÿIt takes a biochemist to see all the opportunities.ÃÂÿ We are already advertising zero trans fatty acids on processed food because weÃÂÿve replaced them with sorbitol, polysorbate 20, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, etc. and in many cases we donÃÂÿt even list them under the ingredients. By way of example, in some baked goods, the eggs, cream and shortening have been replaced with polysorbate 60. The next medication series is presently being prepared to compensate for the undesirable side effects of sorbitol, namely laxative action to severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping, gas production, red blood cell destruction, retina damage (similar to glaucoma) and peripheral nerve damage, etc.ÃÂÿ And as I said, ÃÂÿIt takes a biochemist to see all the opportunities and the entire series of food additives has already been government pre-approved both in Canada and the United States.ÃÂÿ
* The scientific information presented is authentic. Only character identification of the three gentlemen has been altered to protect the scoundrels and thereby avoid litigation.
*1 The infectious ÃÂÿmad cow prionÃÂÿ is not destroyed by the customary 330 degree rendering pot temperatures.
*2 The total loss of human life has not been established, but the loss is so great that for the first time in human history, North AmericanÃÂÿs have decreased their life expectancy by more than five years. History will likely record these decades (1960- 2010+) as the ÃÂÿDark Ages of BiochemistryÃÂÿ.
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