Ed Morris-author of “Can I Sit On Your Towel?”

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Why are we writing this story of our lives?
Edward A Morris and Elizabeth Maher Morris
I am 90, and Betty is 88
We wrote our joint autobiography for our five great-grandchildren, entitled, May I Sit on Your Towel?
So they could visualize the joys, sorrows, disappointments and excitements of our lives.

We ordered 40 copies printed in Amazon
Paper back for $8.50 I only make 1 cent per book
Kindle edition for $1.99
Anyone is welcome to read, for free, few chapters in Amazon “Inside the Book”

Friends read it and said it is difficult to believe one couple could have such exciting adventures.
No matter what disappointments and tragedies someone may have, this book is a Blue-print how to live to a healthy 100.

Officer just discharged from World War II, Navigator in B-24 Liberator bombers.

Saw a nice looking girl on the Santa Barbara beach

May I Sit on Your Towel?
Name Betty gave to our 350-page joint autobiography
The first words I ever said to her.

That evening was our First date
2 nd date , ” marry me ?.” “yes” married 68 years. 6 children.

Our generation was more mature Depression WWII
Age 16 Douglas Air plane factory making Navy fighter planes. Good pay
Diamond ring for my 14 year old girl friend. But we later concluded we too young, so called off engagement. Still visit her.

Joined army at age 17
Officer age 19

After our wedding to Betty, he contracted polio with a prognosis would never walk again.

Attended law school

Unbelievable experiences as a lawyer.
Involved with the 52 American hostages held in Iran.

Offered bribes of millions of dollars to world leaders,

We had terrible heartaches with our 6 children,

Our entire family on a 5-month sea expedition in our tiny boat looking for uninhabited islands.

Years of social contact with top political leaders.

Unbelievable coincidence: Mother of Patty Hearst, Katherine Hearst; Patty was kidnapped.

Unique involvement in the Vietnam War, with Joan Bias and Dan Ellsberg (Pentagon Papers)

Lost lifetime pension.
Thus, I lectured on cruise ships.
51 cruises, 100 days a year for 7 years
Lectures: How to Manage Stress Control Worry Importance of Forgiveness
How to live to healthy 100
Why we not allowed to steer hurricanes away from East Coast.
My authority: President of Weather Modification Association.
Those lectures are in our book

We enjoyed months of travel as First Lady and President of the magicians of the world.
Three world tours of 4 months each, performing magic shows.

Also, 4 months in 10 countries of Africa with our own elephant,
Photo of Betty swimming in river with crocodiles.
Stay close when washing her elephant
Did magic shows in 50 native villages
Large coffee table book, Focus on Africa.

Performed magic shows all over world, 5000 audience 21 magic shows in Hollywood.

In 1971 I bought part of a beautiful private tropical island.
$300 down payment.
Spent 44 years on our island
3 months every year Swim 3 times a day in Ocean
My son and wife and 2 grandsons and their girlfriends are on our island right now.

We live in beautiful 100-year-old home on famous Nob Hill in San Francisco, nestled among 5 world class hotels.
Movies made at our house: The Game, with Sean Penn & Michael Douglas;
Don Johnson in Nash Bridges, they removed our furniture and installed Hollywood furniture.

We have a wonderful life.

Both in perfect health,

Happy to share our story with other in the 350 pages book,
May I Sit on Your Towel? 71 photos.

Many other events are discussed in the book:
I exercised in the gym with President Obama.

For 2 years I spent a whole day, each month, with Ronald Reagan.
I gave Congressional testimony about an unknown war weapon.

I was Vice-Chairman of the Committee which oversees the Nuclear Labs of the nation.
I held pure plutonium in my bare hands, with Dr. Ed Teller, father of nuclear bomb.

Reincarnation and Psychic powers in Thailand I was asked by the bishop to the King to design another Buddhist Temple, as I had done in a previous life.

Written 6 books.

I was president of the Alumni Association of the University of California, including both Berkeley and UCLA.

[Marie: wanted to get her inheritance.]
]
Entire chapter re Innovate in business and law.
State of California pays me $1,000 per hour to lecture to lawyers at the Annual California Bar Conventions.
Example: When trying to maintain a friendly negotiation, never claim as a right what you can ask for as a favor, even though you have a legal right to something.

The more doors you open, the more interesting and fun life becomes.
I am 90 and looking forward to more doors to open.
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Chapter 17: Demagogue & Term Limits page 152

Philippines , I met twice privately at his home with the former president Macapagal, whose assistance I acknowledged in The Demagogue’s Disease. I also met with the Philippine Army Chief of Staff, General Romeo C. Espino, and the Secretary of Defense, Juan Ponce Enrile, who later helped oust President Marcos
I was prepared to bribe President Marcos with millions US dollars. However, our planned private rendezvous was cancelled when the president of Romania made an unexpected visit to confer with Marcos.
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Taiwan , I attended the funeral of President Chiang Kai-shek, about whom I wrote in The Demagogue’s Disease.
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Haiti , I studied and wrote in my book the deplorable conditions of corruption, mismanagement, and terror imposed by the Presidents for Life, “Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” Duvalier.
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I was only white person at real voodoo ceremonies. Midnight in a dirt clearing near a jungle river. When I stood up and waved my hand, and for a minute, jungle became broad daylight. The voodoo priest kneeled down at my feet. Any magician knows. Remember, I was the International President of the Magicians throughout the world. Performed magic shows all over the world.
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Everything in the book is TRUE.
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For 30 years I have been lecturing, researching and writing on what I called the demagogue’s disease—the lust for power and the overwhelming desire to remain in the limelight of the highest leadership of a country. Wrote 2 books on the subject.

Milton Eisenhower, Chairman or Committee for a single 6-year term for US president..
I created 2 websites: www.6-year.com and also www.1six.us. I have been told that there are few people who have championed the connection between poverty and the need for limited tenure of the heads of state as I h ave.

On page 84 of Cure for the Demagogue’s Disease is a full list of 100 top executives who were on the committee, many of whom joined at my personal urging, including Glenn T. Seaborg, Nobel Laureate and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission,
I discussed my theory with Prime Minister Morarji Desai of India, who was 83 at the time.

Lew Wasserman, president of Universal Studios , invited me to his Beverly Hills mansion to explain my limited tenure theory to 75 movie stars and other Hollywood notables. Charlton Heston, Academy Award winner for Ben Hur, and Sydney Poitier, the first black actor to win an Academy Award, were enthusiastic about my concept.

Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations , had requested a private meeting me. He came in the evening to my hotel room in New York and told his experiences with various U.S. senators. He met with every senator over 3 years. Many of them were unwilling to give the Navy more money, Give to other projects which would provide more votes for their reelection. I mentioned some of his examples in The Demagogue’s Disease.
Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association , and confidant of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and I lectured for several weeks together, need for limited tenure for heads of state.
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For several years I submitted term-limit proposals to the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. I testified in Washington, D.C., before a congressional committee on my theory of limited tenure for all heads of state.

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I was interviewed on BBC Radio in London. At the very last minute I was asked, “I see you were a jury trial lawyer. Did you ever do magic in the courtroom?” I replied, “Yes, in one long trial I performed magic for the jury.” That ended the interview and Betty and I walked down the stairs to the Strand when someone from BBC came running after us and said that every telephone in the building was ringing with demands for me to explain how I was allowed to do magic tricks in serious trials. Thus, I returned to the studio and did a second interview.
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On 3 weekly TV quiz shows. I was paired with Dionne Warwick (who tied with Madonna as the third most-charted female vocalist of all time).
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In Bangladesh, Shah Moni” immediately dropped to his knees and kissed Betty’s feet at a magic convention.
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While a student in college, I Built own house. I bought lot for $1,000 and a house kit from Sears for $700 and did all the carpentry, electrical and plumbing myself. President Carter was raised in a Sears kit house.