Today's lesson

Good morning.

In my history lesson of September 8 I wrote that Huey Long of Louisiana was assassinated in Washington. That was incorrect, he was killed in the state capitol building in Baton Rouge.

Quote of the day:
"I am not saying my friend is easy, but she has been in so many motels rooms her nickname is 'Gideon'".        Joan Rivers

Tuesday was when Obama made his speech to the kiddies. I have read the text of the speech and find nothing objectionable. But according to what I have heard, the kiddies will be asked to write something afterward about how to help President Obama achieve his goals. If that is the case, this is political and does not belong in a classroom, if it not true it is typical of the bored people out there that want to stir the pot.

Good news:

In a small school district in the Lansing, Michigan area, 90% of the students come from indigent families. This is a community of a little over 1,000 and has a senior class in Baldwin High School of 25. The community has gathered together and formed a scholorship for the local students. They will contribute up to $5,000/yr toward a student's college education. The population of this school district is 50% white, 42% black and 8% Hispanic. There are rules. You get 100% if you have attended Baldwin High School for 4 years, 75% for three years, 50% for two years and 25% for one year.  The unemployment rate in that area is 18%.

 Greenpatch Grime:

Over the weekend 30 year old James Burson got into a heated argument with his wife. His wife grabbed a croquet mallet for protection. James chose to snatch the mallet away and started beating her with it. She broke free and ran to her Grandfather's house for protection. James was arrested on a criminal domestic violence charge. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance. His wife was lucky it was not a 4 iron.

A small Baptist church in Inman, SC was spray painted with a swastika and racial slurs last week. The pastor said that he was going to ask parishioners to pray for forgiveness of these animals. I would be praying also. Praying that I would not kill them if I caught them in the act. The pastor said that he had been having problems in the past with teeagers hanging around in the church parking lot. The Inman community needs to find something for those kids to do rather than hang around in a church parking lot. Where are their parents?


                         On this date on September 9


1939     The Fox theatre in Riverside California has a surprise premier of the movie Gone With the Wind. The producer of the film David O. Selznick is sitting in the rear of the theatre to see the audience’s reaction. Selznick had bought the film rights from Margaret Mitchell for $50,000 the year before and immediately began a search for Rhett and Scarlett. He was unsuccessful at first but he made a deal with MGM for Clark Gable for which MGM got a piece of the action. The newly arrived British actress Vivian Leigh came to the set to see her agent who was Selznick’s brother and was persuaded to read for the role of Scarlett. The official premier was in Atlanta in December.


1956     Elvis makes his first appearance on the popular TV variety show Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town. Elvis does Don’t Be Cruel and Hound Dog and as usual swivels his hips. Sullivan was so incensed by this that he swore that he would never allow Elvis back on his show but a year later with Elvis on top of the recording heap, he has him back but instructs the cameramen to not show him from the waist down. Times have changed, haven’t they?


1863     The Yankee army occupies Chattanooga after US Gen. William Rosecrans severely out-generals CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg. Bragg has to retreat to a point south of Chattanooga but has his army dig in at a place called Chickamauga. Rosecrans follows Bragg and the ensuing battle is one of the bloodiest of the war. Rosecrans is defeated and he and his army retreats back to Chattanooga. Bragg was acknowledged to be the worst field commander in the Confederacy and many attribute the loss of the war to his inadequacies.


 1971     The worst prison riot in American history happens at Attica Correctional facility near Buffalo, N.Y. The riot occurred spontaneously but was primarily caused by the severe overcrowding which resulted in deplorable living conditions. The inmates could take a shower only once a week and had one roll of toilet paper to last a month among many other things. Nearly all of the 2200 inmates joined in the riot. The riot was essentially contained in a recreational field but the inmates had 39 guards and civilians as hostages. There were long and tedious negotiations between the inmates and the prison officials, even the Governor Nelson Rockefeller came and talked with the inmates but the negotiations stalled and the governor order a forceful takeover. The officials sent a helicopter over the yard and dropped tear gas into the yard and the prison guards charged through the mist guns blazing. 10 prison guards were killed and 89 inmates were either killed or wounded. The prison officials at first said that the inmates had killed the guards by cutting their throats but autopsies proved that they were all killed with gunfire. A congressional investigation ensued.

1943     A Japanese float plane launched from a submarine drops incendiary bombs on a forest in western Oregon causing a forest fire. This is the only time a bomb has fell on the continental United States and hopefully the last.


1852     California receives statehood. In 1847 California had only 7,500 residents and to become a state there must be at least 60,000 residents. After gold discovered the state’s population grew by 60,000 in 1849 alone. Normally a state must become a US Territory for a period of time before becoming a state but this was foregone because of the gold. Uncle Sam wants his piece of the action, don’t he?


Born today:


1868    US writer Mary Austin. She said “People would be surprised to find out how much I found out about prayer while playing poker.”

I found out about prayer trying to hammer out a divorce settlement. I had always heard that “Prayer changes things”.... it didn’t.

1860     US chef Colonel Harlan Sanders. He said “There is no reason to be the richest person in the cemetery. You can’t do business there”.

I concur with the first sentence, the second one is unnecessary.


1925 US actor Cliff Robertson. He said “This isn’t exactly a stable business; it is like standing up in a hammock with your pants down.”

Even more unstable would be making love standing up in a hammock,Cliff.

1949     NFL quarterback Joe Thiesmann. He said “The word “genius” is not applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.”

Joe, you are a dumb-ass.

1958     US Comedian The Amazing Johnathon. He said “A duck walks into a drug store and says ”Give me a stick of Chapstick and put it on my bill”.

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                  Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow