Daily history

Good morning,


Quote of the day:

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood."

                                 Marie Curie

This quote is ironic coming from Marie Curie. She and her husband Pierre were the discoverers of Radium and both died of radiation poisoning because they did not understand the dangers of the radiation.

Something really peculiar happened a few days ago over Norway. About 8:30a a large spiral light appeared in the sky with a blue-green ray of light emanating from the center and extending to Earth. This phenomenon was seen by people as far as 500 miles away meaning the light was at a very high altitude. After a short period of time the spiral exploded and disappeared. The air traffic controllers at a nearby airport logged the sighting and the disappearance and determined that it lasted about two minutes. None of the world's scientists have a clue what it was. It defied all laws of physics and any known natural phenomenon such as the aurora borealis. It was suggested that it was a Russian rocket launch that went awry but the Russians deny any rocket launch. Guess what, the Russians lied. The strange lights in the sky was indeed caused by a rocket launched from a submarine and the third stage failed. In my twenty-five years as an air traffic controller I have seen, both visually and on radar, events that defy an explanation. On one occasion I was working in Pensacola and saw a radar target moving rapidly from west to east. I timed it and determined that it was going about 2,200 MPH. I thought that was a UFO because no known aircraft could travel that fast. The key word here is "known". It was an SR-71 Blackbird while it was still a secret. But there were many other instances that I will never forget. I personally believe that there is someone or something out there watching us.

Up in Hendersonville, NC three very hard-hearted women were arrested. The sheriff's department was notified by the Henderson County Health Department that some people representing themselves as employees of of the Health Department had called the "Toys for Tots" office and said that they would like to get some toys for about 166 needy kids. The Health Department denied anything like that came from them. As you might suspect, the cops were at the Toys for Tots office when these three bitches showed up and they were promptly arrested. How cold hearted can you get?

Thursday morning Greenville, SC sheriff's deputies were following 28 year old Zachary Arnold trying to serve him with an arrest warrant for criminal sexual conduct and accessory to murder. All of a sudden Arnold whips into the Vinings at Brookfield apartment complex. He jumps out of the car, runs into one of the apartments and barricades himself. The deputies back off because of Arnold's violent past and call in a SWAT team. The SWAT team told Arnold to come out or they were coming in and take him out of there one way or another. After hearing that untimatum, Arnold peacefully surrendered.

Very soon after I moved to Pensacola many years ago, a man walked into a downtown bank and shot and killed one of the tellers that was his wife. he then drives to his mother's house and barricades himself after telling his mother to leave. The police surround the house and call in a SWAT team because it is obvious that the man was armed. The SWAT team arrives and gives the man five minutes to come out. The man responds with a couple of rounds from his pistol. The SWAT team fired a couple of tear gas canisters through the windows and smash their way in. The shooter fired one shot and was killed instantly by a number of rounds from the SWAT team. Moral: Don't shoot at a group of armored, heavily armed policemen.

Good news:

For reasons unknown so far, gold coins have shown up in the Salvation Army kettles nationwide. With gold at about $1,100 and ounce, the bellringers are ecstatic. I would be too.

This date in history December 11

1777    On this date Patriot General George Washington orders his army of 12,000 to leave their encampment at Whitemarsh, New Jersey and cross the Schuylkill River and go into winter quarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As his troops began crossing, who should show up but British General Charles Cornwallis and a large contingent of Redcoats and Loyalists. Washington orders his troops to retreat back across the river and they retreated back to their previous encampment at Whitemarsh. The Patriots cooled their heels until December 19 and they tried to cross again and did it successfully. The overall British commander of that area General William Howe was informed about Washington and the Patriots being encamped at Valley Forge but Howe was too warm and comfy in Philadelphia and failed to pursue. For this failure, General Howe was relieved and British General Sir Henry Clinton assumed command. Fortunately for us several professional military men from Europe came over to help Washington whip his army into shape and whip them into shape they did because the next spring a professionally trained and disciplined army arose out of the misery and death from disease and starvation that was apparent in Valley Forge. What amazing ancestors we had, ya’ll.

1985    On this date the legendary man known as the “Unabomber” kills his first victim. This was by no means the first of his bombs but it was the first murder. A man named Hugh Scrutton was killed by a mail bomb in his computer store in Sacramento. California. There were two other deaths by mail bombs sent by this lunatic. The very first bomb from this man was in 1978 was exploded on the campus of the University of Chicago on May 25. There were a series of bombs either laid on the ground or sent through the mail to what appeared to be random locations for the next fifteen years which made it very difficult for the FBI to track down. In fact the FBI did not track down the Unabomber; he was ratted out by his brother. The Unabomber threatened to bomb a plane flying out of Los Angeles which really gave the FBI the tight ass and he became their first priority. The Unabomber sent letters to different newspapers stating that he would stop these acts of terrorism if they would print his “manifesto”. The Los Angeles Times and the New York Post agreed and did indeed print his manifesto which essentially called all the major industries in America as traitors and worthy of killing. The brother of Ted Kaczynski contacted the FBI and told them that the theme and the phrasing in the manifesto looked like something his brother would write. The FBI found out where Ted was living and surrounded his cabin in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. Ted was arrested without a struggle and bomb making materials were found inside his cabin. Ted’s lawyer wanted Ted to plead insanity but he refused and pled guilty in return for not receiving the death penalty. He was given life without the possibility of appeal or parole. There are crazy people everywhere, isn’t there?

Born today:

1803    French composer Hector Berloitz. He said “Time is the best teacher but it kills all of its students.” That’s depressing, ya’ll.

1810    French writer Alfred de Musset. He said “How glorious it is, and also how painful, to be an exception.” I think he is talking about Al Gore.

1882    German physicist Max Born. He said “The belief that there is only one truth and that is known to only oneself is the deepest root of all evil in the world.” That sounds like Pat Robertson to me.

Died today:

1757    English actor Colley Cibber. He said “There is no fiend in hell can match the fury of a woman scorned, slighted, dismissed or disappointed.” I think I know this woman.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow