Good morning,


Quote of the day:

"Be still if you have nothing to say; but if genuine passion moves you, say what you have to say and say it hot."

                                         D.H. Lawrence

Professor of archaeology David Moore of Warren Wilson College near Black Mountain, NC and a volunteer group have uncovered a what was one of the largest Indian villages in eastern America near Morganton, NC. The most unusual find on the most recent expedition was what was clearly a Spanish fort that they discovered war known as Fort San Juan. They discovered that the leader of this expedition was Juan Pardo and the fort was built about 1570. The Indian village was populated by Catawbas. It is believed that Pardo's expedition was the farthest inland by the Spanish ever penetratated. The bad news was that Pardo's troops brought small pox with them for which the Indians had no immunity. This resulted in the annihilation of the Catawbas in the area and changed the demographics forever. This was not the first place in the Americas where the Europeans brought diseases to the natives with the same results.

Back in mid-November in Black Mountain, North Carolina a homeless man named Barry Cordell set up his camp under the on ramp off I-40 to Highway 9. The temperature was in the low 40's and it was raining. Barry was homeless because he was an alcoholic. His profession was automobile mechanic and his past employers said he was a good one but he just could not stay off the sauce. The director of the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministries was familiar wilh Barry. She had paid for Barry to stay in a motel room during very severe weather. She also had found homes for him to stay in but he was kicked out several times when he got back on the sauce. The SVCM is desperately looking for the money to build a shelter for the homeless in the Black Mountain area estimated to be about 20 but that is tough to do in these days and times. The day after Barry got his camp set up, another homeless man found him dead. The coroner said that Barry died from exposure. His body was soaking wet when he was brought in and the overnight temperature was 38 degrees. Yes, he was drunk. If there had indeed been a shelter he probably would have survived, drunk, but alive.

Good news:

Dorothy James had just adopted a dog from the pound. The dog resembled a Walker fox hound and was named Wesley. Dorothy and Wesley were out taking a walk when all of a sudden Wesley starts running hard down the street with Dorothy in tow. The dog runs straight to an infant laying on a lawn not breathing while its mother was screaming that the baby had almost drowned in the bath tub. Dorothy was an RN and had no trouble reviving the baby with CPR. Mother, child, Dorothy and especially Wesley are doing fine. By the way, Wesley was in training in child rescue and had flunked out, that is why he was in the pound. Does anyone out there think it is possible that Wesley was sent to that spot at that particular point in time by design...or was it a coincidence? Talk to me.

This date in history December 19

1776      General George Washington and what is left of his army is camped on McKonkey’s farm across the Delaware River from Trenton , New Jersey . He had been kicked out of New York and New Jersey after losing New York City . Not only that, nearly 11,000 of his troops had deserted and went home to their families and the large majority of what was left of his army had their enlistments ending on December 31. On this date Thomas Paine published American Crisis. Included in this pamphlet were these immortal words:

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldiers and the sunshine patriots will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he who stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the victory.”

Washington and Paine knew the Continental Army was in serious trouble and something had to be done to resurrect a fighting spirit. Washington himself gathered his army around him and read Paine’s word to them. The words had the desired effect and the spirit of the army rose. But just to make sure, Washington planned an attack on Trenton on Christmas Day. He brought his army back across the Delaware River and attacked the Hessian (German mercenaries) encampment in Trenton . The hung-over Hessians were no match for the inflamed Continentals and resulted in a near annihilation of the Hessians. Then on January 2 Washington and his now fired up army met the British army led by General Earl Cornwallis in Princeton , New Jersey and delivered a severe ass-kicking. These two victories and Paine’s words brought more and more recruits into the Continental army which saved our ass.

1998    On the is date the United States House of Representatives hands down a bill of Impeachment against Bill Clinton, the sitting President of the United States. This was only the second time that a Bill of Impeachment had been issued in the history of the United States . Clinton was convicted of lying to a Federal Court and the obstruction of Justice. This came as a result of a sexual liaison Clinton had with an unpaid intern in the White House named Monika Lewinsky. There is no question that Clinton had at least 11 encounters with Monika. After many of the encounters Monika called white house staffer Linda Tripp and told her in detail about her experiences with Slick Willie. Even with all of this, William Jefferson Clinton was able to complete his term as President of our United States .

1817    James Archer is born in Harford County , Maryland . He attended Princeton and Boston College before joining the US army and fought with distinction during the Mexican War and was indeed brevetted Colonel. After the beginning of the Civil War Archer offered his services to Confederacy. He was assigned to The Army of Northern Virginia in John Bell Hood’s Texas Brigade. He fought with valor at Seven Pines and at the so-called Seven Days. Later on he was assigned to Harry Heth’s division in A.P Hill’s corps. It was Archer who led the attack on the center of US General John Buford’s dismounted cavalry on Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg . Archer’s attack was so effective and his penetration of the Union lines was so deep that his unit was cut off and captured. Archer himself was captured and on his way to the rear he was met with an old comrade in arms, US General Abner Doubleday. Doubleday saw Archer and said that he was glad to see him. Archer responded with “Well, I am not glad to see you, not by a damned sight.” Archer went to a prison camp for about 15 months and was exchanged. He went back to duty and was assigned duty in the trenches in and around Petersburg . The stay in the prison camp had weakened him and he finally died in the trenches in October of 1864. He was a recognized as a superior field commander by both sides. There is a plaque on McPherson’s Ridge at Gettysburg dedicated to General Archer’s division, I have been there. Every American should go there to feel the restlessness of the spirits lying in that field between McPherson’s Ridge and Cemetery Ridge. It would give you a deeper understanding of courage and dedication.

1978 On December 3 the police in Des Plaines , Illinois had received a complaint about child abuse against a man named John Wayne Gacy. They did not have enough evidence to arrest Gacy so they staked out his house. On this day, Gacy’s neighbors complained about a “funky” smell coming from Gacy’s house. The police obtained a warrant and entered the house and were met with an overwhelming stench of rotting flesh. Further investigations found several bodies buried in the crawlspace under the house. The police finally found that Gacy had been responsible for the murders of over 25 people, mostly adolescents, in several states. Gacy is recognized as one of the worst serial killers in United States history. This animal was sentenced to death but was able to appeal his case for 14 years. He eventually met his maker with needles in his arms. I can think of many more rewarding ways for this beast to depart this earth, don’t get me started.

Births and deaths:

1778 British educator Henry Brougham is born. He said “Education makes people easy to lead, hard to drive, easy to govern and impossible to enslave.”

1906    Us writer H. Allen Smith is born. Upon tasting his first American beer he said “Put it back in the horse!”

1910    French writer Jean Genet is born. He said “To achieve harmony in bad taste is the epitome of elegance.”

Quotable quotes:

“When we talk to God, we are praying, when God talks to us we a re schizophrenic.”

                                   Lily Tomlin

When asked about the virtues of the presidency, John F. Kennedy said “The pay is good and I can walk to work.”

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow