Daily Lesson

Good morning,



Quote of the day:


"Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls."

                                         Kahil Gibran


The skies look a little ominous this morning. The wind is from the west south-west and the rather thick clouds are scudding across the sky fairly rapidly. This usually means there is an approaching cold front from the west energized by a low pressure area somewhere north or northeast. We are expecting a fairly large rainfall tonight and for most of the weekend. I have a very interesting book to read while I listen to the rain on the back deck.


I did not sleep very well last night probably because I did not take a sleeping pill last night so this morning about 5:00a I took one. I walked around in a fog all day taking a lot of dog naps. I will never do that again. It has been a wasted day. I have come down with a little chest congestion and a light cough so I will delay my trip to Boar's Head in Panama City, Beach until the middle of next week to make sure that I do not have the flu.


Good News:


Back in the 1960's Olly O'Neal was a black man in Arkansas headed down the wrong path. There was nothing but crime and drugs in his future if something didn't change. One day during his senior year in high school he cut school and wandered into the school library and as if being led, he goes to a book by black author Frank Yerby. To uphold his image as a tough guy, rather than checking the book out, he steals it. He was back a few days later to put the book back and strangely enough there was another book by Yerby in that slot, so he steals it also. He brought that book back and took yet another book by Yerby. He thought he was getting away with thievery but little did he know the librarian was well aware of his actions and it was her that kept replacing Yerby's books so Olly would take them. After the indoctination of reading books, O'Neal went down another path and went to Law School and has become a judge in his own state of Arkansas. All it took was someone subliminally giving Olly a nudge in the right direction. Sometimes that is all you need to do. But on the other hand, sometimes it takes a 2 X 4.


I am not going to wade into that fetid swamp that has developed with David Letterman. We have enough of that with our Governor in South Carolina. What I don't quite understand is Letterman is being praised for his confessions and honesty but Governor Sanford has been held in the worst distain even though he has confessed to a year long affair with a Brazilian woman. There is little question in my mind that all the crap that have been rained upon the Governor is politically motivated. I hate politics.


This date in history October 3


1781    British General Charles Cornwallis and 9,000 of his troops had been pinned up against the Chesapeake Bay by a combined force of 17,000 Patriot and French infantry at Yorktown, Virgina for about two weeks. The British had been able to persevere because they were being re-supplied from across the York River. Patriot General George Washington sent French Brigadier General Marquis de Cloisy and 1,000 infantry to cut that supply route. On this date Marquis de Cloisy was able to ambush the British supply wagons led by British Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas and 800 infantry with complete success. With this the last supply route to the British encampment now cut, it was just a matter of time before they had to surrender and bring this war for independence to a successful conclusion.


1862    Confederate Generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price combined their forces and attempt of take back the city of Corinth, Mississippi that had been captured by US General William Rosecrans earlier. Corinth was an all important railroad center. The US forces had taken Corinth after the Confederates had been there for some time and had developed considerable breastwork and Rosecrans’s troops just reinforced what was there into an even more formidable embrasures. On this date the Confederates attempted three direct and flank attacks and were able to gain the first entrenchment but could not hold and withdrew with heavy casualties.


1799    Earlier a housekeeper in London named Sarah Lloyd had left doors to the house that she was tending unlocked so her boyfriend could easily come in and burglarize the house. The London PD caught Sarah’s boyfriend and then found out about Sarah’s complicity also. They both were tried and convicted and sentenced to death. That’s right, folks, I said death for burglary and complicity. On this date, Sarah walks up the gallows and is hanged. Before going up she turned to the executioner and said “For decency’s sake sir, do no hang me too high.” Here this girls is within minutes of meeting her maker and is worried about someone looking up her dress. I never will understand the female mind.


1995    On this date one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American history occurs in Los Angeles, California. Former NFL football star O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife Nichole Brown and an innocent passer-by named Ron Goldman. The trial had been underway for almost a year. In the past Nichole Brown had called 911 several times because Simpson had shown up at her house enraged and had beat the hell out of her at least once and threatened her many times. Ron Goldman was a waiter at an upscale restaurant where Nichole had eaten lunch a few hours before. Nichole had left her sunglasses at the restaurant and Goldman was dropping the sunglasses off at Nichole’s house on his way home when they both were murdered. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind, except for that jury, that O.J. was the murderer. O.J. was defended by a formidable crew of attorneys led by Johnny Cochran. I personally think that O.J. was acquitted because he was black, as was the majority of the jury. Take it from me; bigotry exists on both sides of the race issue. That should be obvious to all.


1895    One of the best and most influential novels in the history of American literature is published on this day. It is the Red Badge of Courage written by Stephan Crane. It is a novel about a group of young men that enlist in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, one young man in particular. When he encounters combat for the first time he runs away in terror. Then he has a talk with himself about self esteem and courage and returns to his unit. The book is an icon in annuls of American literature and is worthy of everyone’s time to read. Crane was born into poverty one of a family of 14 living in the New York/New Jersey area. Crane died in 1899 of tuberculosis at the age of 28. That’s right folks, he wrote this great novel at a very early age. What a damned waste of writing talent.


1873    Earlier a group of Modoc Indians got fed up with settlers moving in on their lands in Central Oregon and killed a few of them and ran up into the Cascades to hide. They stayed there for quite a length of time and refused several attempts to negotiate their surrender. It seems they did not trust us honkies at our word and I don’t blame them. Finally, the US Cavalry decided to send in a high ranking US General to negotiate thinking the Modoc would more readily believe him. They chose US General Edward Canby. Canby went in to negotiate but the Modoc were not impressed and capped all of the party except one who went back and told what happened. The US cavalry sent an overwhelming force and captured all the Modoc. On this day four of them were hanged for the killing of General Canby, not the settlers, General Canby.


Births and deaths:


1822    Future President Rutherford B. Hayes is born. When told about the telephone he said “It sounds like a wonderful invention, but who would ever want to use one?” Hey Rutherford, wake up.


1941    US writer Anne Rice is born. She said “I was particularly stunned by the casting of Tom Cruise; he is no more the vampire La Stat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett Butler.” One of my daughters suggested that I not read that book because there was homosexuality in it and they thought I would find it offensive. I did not read it because of that, I did not read it because it is fiction. If I was going to be offended at homosexuality I could not read the biography of many, many leaders, Frederick the Great, in particular. I have completed his biography and will send it out soon.

Quotable quotes:


“I exercise great self control. I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast.” W. C. Fields. Me neither


“Marriage is for just a little while; it is alimony that lasts forever.” Quentin Reynolds


“My favorite animal is steak.” Fan Lebow


“My wife has wonderfully colored eyes; I particularly

             like the blue one.” Dave Barry


Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow