Daily history

Good morning,


THIS WILL BE MY LAST LESSON UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS....MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.

Quote of the day:

"Experience is a wonderful thing. It allows you to recognize a mistake when you make it again."

                                     Mark Twain

The police down around Dawsonville, Ga. have been searching hard for Paul and Jennifer Budrawich. The couple has been missing for several days. This past Monday the couple was found after their car was found in the parking lot of an IGA store over in Pickens county. They both had been killed. A security camera at the store caught two men getting out the car and departing the area in a nearby pickup truck. The men were identified as the 40 year old stepfather of the missing woman and the stepfather's nephew. Both are in the joint with no bail available. By the way, Jennifer's stepfather is the father of one of her children. What a wonderful guy.

Here is a little something that will instill faith in the US political party with the majority in the legislature. That's right folks, in order to get the final Democratic vote to get the Health bill passed they allowed nothing short of extortion when they persuaded Rep. Bill Nelson to vote for the bill by writing into the bill that the people in Nebraska (Nelson's home state) would be allowed to pay less for coverage than anyone else in America. At least that is the way I read it. I would not doubt the rottenness of this administration. Senator Lindsay Graham has asked Henry McMasters, South Carolina's Attorney General, to look into that trick with Nebraska as being unconstitutional under the "equal protection the law" statute. How rotten are these people?

Back in 2004-05 Jim Campus of Gulf Breeze, Florida was working for the Mitchell Development Company. It was Jim's job to find undeveloped property for Mitchell to buy and develop. Jim found a nice piece of property over on the Bagdad peninsula near Pensacola but told the owner that Mitchell was not interested. Then four months later Campus and a man named Jim Young formed a partnership and bought that very same piece of property for $1.2 million. About a year later Campus suggested that Mitchell buy this property for $3.3 million and they did. Then Mitchell's attorneys found out that Campus had a financial interest in the property and sued. Campus counter-sued and the battle was on. The day before the case was going before the judge, Campus agreed to paying Mitchell the difference between the $1.2 million and the $3.3 million paid out by Mitchell. Campus forked over the cash and Mitchell severed all ties with Campus and I don't blame them.

Freshman US Representative Parker Griffith (D-Al) has sent notice that he is going to change over to the GOP. This is going to put the Demos even closer to losing the majority in the House next November. Nearly everyone that I talk with nationwide declares that they expect the Democrats will suffer a bloodbath in the mid-term elections in 2010. I certainly hope so. But I am not sure about those folks in central Texas, how about it Dotty?

Good news:

Over in Independence, Missouri a single father named Howard Kimble was raising three children. They are 15 year old Vanessa, 14 year old Hanna and 9 year old Jessy. In the span of two years Howard had suffered two heart attacks, had a motorcycle wreck, brain surgery and had a cancerous kidney removed. Need less to say he was out of work for a considerable length of time. Howard found out that the house he was renting had been sold and he was given a certain length of time to move out. On the day before he was to move him and his family to a homeless shelter, there was a knock on the door. it was Jim Basler and John Salisbury, the people that had bought the house. They told Howard that he was indeed going to have to move, but it was going to be into one of Jim and John's other rental houses that was newer and larger and the rent was going to be lowered. Jim and John said thaey just could not see themselves putting a family in a homeless shelter just so they could make a profit. Howard called it a miracle, but it was an act of kindness at the last possible moment. By the way, Jim and John bought the members of family Christmas presents.

This date in history December 23

1944    In January of this year a man named Eddie Slovik was drafted into the United States Army. Slovik was originally rejected for the draft because he was a convicted felon (grand theft auto) but the standards were changed when more manpower was needed. Slovic was trained as a rifleman and in August of 1944 was assigned to the 28th Division which had taken a beating in the last few months both in France and in Germany. Slovic vowed that he would never fight because he hated guns but in October he arrived in France and went in search of the 28th Division during a ferocious battle and got lost. He found a Canadian outfit and they took him in. Eventually the heat of the battle abated and the Canadians took him to 28th Division Headquarters. It was not unusual for replacement troops to get lost in the midst of a major battle so Slovic’s tardiness was overlooked. Slovic again told the personnel at Division Headquarters that he hated guns and would not fight and would run away if forced to. He was ignored until the next day and Slovic showed up missing. A day later he came back in but still told his superiors that he would not fight. His commanding officer was fed up and told him he had a choice. Grab a rifle and go into combat immediately or face a court martial. He reminded Slovic that the United States Army in general and the 28th Division in particular was not in a forgiving mood because of all the casualties they had suffered. Slovic still refused and sure enough a court martial was convened. He was found guilty of desertion and given the death penalty and Slovic was “to be shot to death by musketry”. A stunned Slovic appealed to General Eisenhower for leniency. On this date General Eisenhower signed the order for the execution of Private Slovic. Eisenhower was in no mood for mercy either because of all the American casualties and the “Battle of the Bulge” was well under way where thousands of Allied solders were being slaughtered. In January of 1945 Private Slovic was stood up before a squad of 12 riflemen and shot to death. None of the riflemen even flinched because they believed that Slovic was getting what he deserved. He was the first American soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War.

1783   After the signing of the Treaty of Paris which declared the United States as a separate and sovereign nation General George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the American Army. He told his men this:

"Happy in the confirmation of our independence and sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I resign with satisfaction the appointment I accepted with diffidence; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task; which however was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.”
George Washington wished to go back to his plantation and live the life of a gentleman planter but his country called again when he was elected our first President. As I have said before, we were very fortunate to have the group of Patriots that we had on our side during this time frame. It almost seems like an act of Providence for all of these things to come together as they did when they did.

1862    On this date the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis declares US General Benjamin Butler a felon. This meant that if Butler was captured by Confederate forces he would be hanged on the spot. What happened was that the city of New Orleans was captured by US forces and Butler was made military governor. Butler’s leadership had nothing to do with the capture; it was the expertise of the US Navy commanded by David Porter. Anyway, Butler was a complete horse’s ass during his tenure. He allowed his troops to plunder the civilians personal effects. He also allowed his brother to set up shop in New Orleans and sell contraband that General Butler let him steal. And finally he issued General order No. 28. This abomination stated that if any lady insulted any of his troops, the lady would be assumed to be a prostitute and treated accordingly. In these days the ladies of the South were treated with great respect and honor. This order by Butler was the ultimate insult and President Davis essentially put a bounty on the head of Benjamin Butler.

Born today:

1896    Italian writer Giuseppe Lampedusa. He said “If you want things to remain as they are, they there will have to be some changes.” Huh?

1908    Armenian photographer Yousef Karsh. He said “There is a secret in every man and woman. It is my task as a photographer to reveal it if I can.”

Died today:

1834    English economist Edward Malthus. He said “Population, when unchecked, makes a geometrical progression of such a nature as to double itself every twenty-five years.” That is spooky, ya’ll, but this was before the”pill”.

1959    English politico Edward Halifax. He said “True merit, like a river, the deeper it is the less noise it makes.” Good thinking, Ed.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow.