Daily history

Good afternoon,


A brief synopsis of what happened to me:

Last weekend I was doing some research on my computer when a dialog box opened up saying that I have at least 43 Trojan virus infections that could result in a nuclear explosion and that I might go to hell if I did not allow them to cleanse them out. I kept "x"ing out the boxes but they persisted and finally all that I could contact was the boxes. I could not open ANYTHING! Finally nothing would work except the damned dialog boxes. I knew then that I was infected with a virus. Right after all of this started I opened by McAfee security file and it said that nothing was wrong. So I knew I was under attack but I did not know what to do about it. I talked to a few people and the did not know what to do either so Monday morning I took my trusty laptop over to those wild and crazy guys over at Geek Squad and cried on their shoulder. They sympathized and offered to fix my laptop...for a fee. I paid them and left secure in the fact "Jake" and the boys would have no trouble erasing the damned spot. They contacted me this morning and said that they had changed my computer's diaper, wiped it's nose and sharpened it's pencil and was ready for my onslaught. So here I am back on line and so far all seem to be well. I have made myselt a promise that I will not open any links nor anything from someone I do not know because that is where I think the virus slide it's ugly form in and raised hell with me. I am sorry for the break in my "lessons" but perhaps you and I needed the break. On we go.

Quote of the day:

"I would like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me. I would like to be the help that you have always been glad to be. I would like to mean as much to you each minute of the day, as much as you have meant to me, my dear friend, all along the way."

                                       Oscar Wilde

This lesson will be shorter than most because I have not had the tools to do the research. Things will get better.

This date in history January 28

1917 Earlier in 1914 the President of Mexico, Victoriano Huerta, had resigned and there was an ensuing power struggle between Pancho Villa and his former compatriot Venustiana Carranza for the Presidency. The United States recognized Carranza as president which gave Villa severe heartburn. In his anger, Villa killed 15 of his own people. If that wasn’t enough, in order to show his displeasure with the American government, he crossed the Rio Grande River into New Mexico and raided the small town of Columbus, New Mexico killing 16 Americans. The American army was soon on his ass and killed 50 of his number in the United States and 70 more in Mexico. Not long after that US President Woodrow Wilson ordered General John “Black Jack” Pershing to take an army into Mexico and bring back Pancho Villa dead or alive. Pershing searched for 11 months and did not even catch sight of the elusive Villa. The Mexicans got fed up with the American military being in their country so long and tensions rose to the point that a small Mexican militia attacked Pershing’s troops killing 17 troopers but losing 35 of their own. Under constant pressure from the Mexican government, on this day Pershing was ordered home having failed in his mission to capture Villa. Villa continued his guerilla raids in northern Mexico until the brother of Victoriano Huerta became president then Villa retired. That didn’t help though, because he was assassinated three months later.

1777 On this date British General John Burgoyne submits a battle plan to British General Sir Henry Clinton. Burgoyne suggested that he head a large force of 8,000 troops out of Canada and go down Lake Champlain, the Mohawk River and eventually the Hudson River and isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. Burgoyne felt that if he could accomplish this it would make Philadelphia ripe for the picking by British General Howe. The plan was approved and Burgoyne achieved a modicum of success when he captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. What Burgoyne did not plan on was the over extension of his supply lines the further south he moved. Eventually the Patriots simply swung around and cut his supply line. Soon after this Burgoyne lost the Battle of Bennington, Vermont and engaged in a bloody draw at Bemis Heights, New York. After these battles he was unable to re-supply his troops so he retreated 16 miles north to Saratoga, New York and surrendered his remaining 6,000 troops to US General Horatio Gates. When the government of France saw this victory they officially recognized the United States as an independent nation which, of course, meant war with England. France had been covertly sending America money and the tools of war now they did it openly and with much more supplies. This decision by France assured an American victory because it meant that England would have to fight a war on both sides of the Atlantic.

1958 On this date a 19 year old high school dropout from Lincoln, Nebraska named Charles Starkweather and his 14 year old girlfriend Carol Fugate murder a Lincoln business man, his wife and their maid. This was the last in a string of 10 murder committed by the duo. This murder spree began at the home of Carol and an argument broke out between Charles and Carol’s parents. Charles chose to shoot Carol’s parent and strangle Carol’s two year old sister. Carol and Charles stayed holed up in the house for a few days before leaving in Charles’ car. Their next victims was a farmer and two teens and after that it was the previously mention Lincoln businessman, wife and maid. They were not done yet. They shot and killed a traveling shoe salesman to get his car. They were surrounded and captured near Douglas, Wyoming. Both Charles and Carol were convicted of murder and Charles got the death penalty and Carol got life. In 1959 Charles Starkweather went to meet his maker medium rare after a visit with the Nebraska version of “Old Sparky”, the electric chair. Carol was paroled after 18 years in the slammer. How could that girl sit in the house with her dead parents and sister for several days? They paroled her because she was so young at the time of the murders. I will have to call bullshit on that.

1986 On this day the space shuttle Challenger was set to launch for the 10th time. All previous missions with this vessel had been flawless. The shuttle had been scheduled to launch on January 22 but there were weather issues so the launch date was pushed back to January 28. Aboard with the regular astronauts was a school teacher name Christa McAuliffe from New Hampshire. The outside air temperature was below freezing and the rocket booster manufacturer warned the launch officials that some of the parts of the rocket booster do not operate well in cold weather, especially the O-ring seals. They warned that they became brittle in the cold and would hot hold. The launch officials blew it off and at 11:39a the Challenger blasted off. Seventy-three seconds into the flight the shuttle exploded into a spectacular three armed display and fell into the Atlantic killing all aboard. An investigation later proved that an O-ring seal had indeed failed and the flame from the rocket boosters had not been contained inside the cylinder causing an explosion. The arrogance of the launch officials in allowing the launch in spite of being warned set space exploration back several years.

Born today:

1887 Polish pianist Arthur Rubenstein. He said “When I was young, I had success with women because I was young. Now I have success with women because I am old. Middle age was hell.” Way to go, Arthur, way to go!

1933 Us writer Susan Sontag. She said “The best answer is one that destroys the question.” Susan is no longer with us.

1948 Latvian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. He said “When we dancers watch Fred Astaire, we know we are in the wrong business.” Fred was a pleasure to watch.

Died today:

1960 US writer Zora Hurston. She said “Every distant ship has every man’s dream aboard.” It does for me at least.

1996 Russian writer Josef Brodsky. He said “Life, the way it really is, is not a battle between bad and good, it is a battle between bad and worse.” And I thought I was a pessimist.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow.