Daily history

Good morning,


Quote of the day:

"A man's face is his autobiography, a woman's face is her work of fiction".

                                        Oscar Wilde

I guess all of you have read about the earthquake on the island of Hispaniola, specifically Haiti and even more specifically the capital of Port-au-Prince. It is utter devastation, y'all. There are thousands of people buried under collapsed buildings. Since it's inception as an independent nation Haiti has been rife with corruption meaning that the infrastructure has really suffered. Under the best of circumstances their electrical, water and sewer grids, etc. are very primitive and unreliable. That country was raped and exploited by the Duvalier family for over 50 years. Different countries would try to help Haiti out of that crushing squalor by donations of cash, machinery, technology, etc. but the ruling executive branch pocketed most of that and the suffering of the people continued. Now they have been beat down by an "act of God". I don't see an end to their misery. It makes me sad.

Good news:

This cold weather reminds me of one day when I was in grammar school in Baltimore. I was seven or eight years old attending Public School #14 on Linden Avenue. One day it started snowing and it increased in intensity throughout the day. We lived about three blocks from the school so I walked to and from the school. The street was three story apartments row houses on both sides so the wind was usually blocked. After school let out I started walking home with the snow almost up to my knees and still coming down with the wind coming hard from my left. The wind was not a problem because it was blocked by the buildings but the snow was really bogging me down. I had about two blocks to go and was getting concerned because of how deep the snow was. Then I saw a figure coming my way from the opposite direction. It was one of my cousins from South Carolina, for crying out loud. He, my uncle and aunt had come up for a visit by train unbeknown to me. He was older and bigger than me. He got in front of me and "snow plowed" a path for me to walk home. I was glad to see him....he is no longer with us. His name was Don Blair, a good man.

This date in history January 14

1875    On this date one of the most perfect humans ever to walk this earth was born in Upper-Alsace, Germany. Albert Schweitzer was the son and grandson of ministers. He studied at the Universities of Paris, Strasburg and Berlin and gained degrees in philosophy and theology. Albert was also an accomplished musician and would play the organ in concerts to supplement his income. In 1905 he entered medical school in the hopes of becoming a medical missionary in Africa. In 1913 with M.D. degree in hand, he and his wife Helene Bresslau moved to the village of Lamberene’, Gabon in West Africa and established a medical treatment facility and hospital. Albert had his hands full at the hospital because Leprosy and African sleeping sickness was rampant in that area. Albert made long strides in the treatment of leprosy and the sleeping sickness and then World War I broke out. In spite of the obvious good works being done by Albert, the British arrested Albert and Helene and put them in a concentration camp simply because they were German. He and Helene were released in 1918 and eventually returned to Lamberene’ in 1924 and opened up the treatment facility and hospital again. For the next 30 years Albert ran his medical facility and hospital and frequently went to Europe to lecture on his philosophy of “a reverence for life”. (LISTEN TO THIS, JACI) This was the idea that all life is to be respected and loved and everyone should enter into a personal and spiritual relationship with the Universe and all its creations. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 which carried a monetary reward of $33,000. Albert returned to Lamberene’ and used that money to build a hospital dedicated to the treatment of leprosy. From the early 1950’s to his death in 1965 he wrote tirelessly about the evils of nuclear testing and nuclear weapons adding his voice to other Nobelists like Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell. It was reported and verified that while Albert was walking around his facility he was on constant alert for any living thing like ants and spiders and would walk around them or carefully move them. Albert was in touch with the Universe.

1639    The first constitution written in the American colonies was signed on this day in Hartford, Connecticut. The Connecticut River valley had been discovered earlier by the Dutch in 1614 but it was the Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay Colony that moved in and established the settlements of Harford, Wethersfield and Windsor. They got together and came up with the “Fundamental Orders”. This document was the first that fostered the concept that “it is the welfare of the community that is more important than that of an individual” and also the idea of the “Orders” must be approved by those it governed. This document was superseded by another set of “Orders” written in 1662. However, some of the laws written in the original “Orders” were maintained until 1818.

1784    On this date the Second Treaty of Paris is signed and ratified. It was called the Second Treaty of Paris because there was a Treaty of Paris that ended the Seven Years war. This treaty ended the American Revolutionary War that had begun 8 years before. The Treaty designated the boundaries between the United States and British possessions in North America. It also designated who was responsible for what debts and what and where were the fishing rights for the United States. But the most important statement was that Great Britain recognized the United States as a free and independent nation. This simple statement was paid for by blood and tears of our ancestors and I for one will never forget them.

Born today:

1875    German physician Dr. Albert Schweitzer. He said “There are two ways of refuge from the miseries of life, music and cats.” Albert, serenity is discovered in the mind of the seeker, too.

1919    Italian Prime Minister Guilio Andreotti. He said “I understand my limitations but when I look around me I see that I am not in a land of giants.” Hey Guilio, quit looking around.

1920    US commentator Andy Rooney. He said “Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make easier to be done don’t need to be done.” Andy is funny.

Died today:

1957    US actor Humphrey Bogart. His alleged last words were “I should have not switched from scotch to Martinis.” You are right Bogie, Martinis can be lethal.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow