Daily history

Good morning,


Quote of the day:

“Don’t let your victories go to your head, or your failures go to your heart.”

                                        Albert Einstein

I guess all of y’all are like me. I have heard enough about Tiger Woods to make me want to spit up. Almost every channel on the TV has Tiger’s “statement” today as their lead item. Now I have a comment.

I think we are seeing the best golfer of the last two generations, maybe of all time. There is little doubt that he will exceed all of Nicklaus’ records if his health, both physical and mental, stands up. That is what I am interested in; whatever happens in his personal life is none of my business. All we have to do is take a cursory glance at other famous athletes and celebrities that were caught in sex scandals that had little or no effect on their careers, David Letterman for instance. Letterman did even miss a show. Derek Jeter (Yankee's shortstop) had an affair with Madonna, for crying out loud. It ain’t fair, y’all. Why does the damned media make Tiger’s morality different from other celebrities? The answer is that sex scandals sells more air time, magazines and newspapers. They are vultures, y’all. They feast on other people’s misery. I saw Tiger being interviewed and he was asked what is his general strategy. He said “I want to pull an early lead over the others in the tournament and then bury them.” When he smells blood, it is all over. That is why I like to watch Tiger Woods.

Here is how our crack state legislators from South Carolina are spending their time. State Senator Mike Pitts is assembling a proposed bill that would make the use of US paper money illegal in the state and only the use of only gold and silver coins would be allowed. Pitts argues that it is unconstitutional for the United States to issue paper money with no tangible backup. The Federal Reserve notes that we all know and love have no backing since the silver standard was eliminated. The only backup our currency has is the governmental ability to collect taxes from the citizenry. Pitts acknowledges that it has a very small chance of passing but he says “It is a gut check for our useless legislators.” Hey Pitts, don’t take my money while planning something that has almost no chance of succeeding...useless indeed.

A bill has been proposed in the South Carolina legislature that would ban the sale of alcoholic beverages a few days before Christmas and Thanksgiving to a few days after. Their impeccable logic is that is when most of the fatal automobile accidents occur. I ain’t kidding.

Another bill has been proposed that would allow the use of golf carts on secondary roads in South Carolina. It is legal today that a golf cart is allowed on secondary roads as long as the cart is driven within two miles of the driver’s home, he/she has a valid driver’s license; the cart is operated in daylight hours only. The proposal would extend the range to five miles rather than two. I’ll bet y’all see what is happening here, one or more of the legislators live outside the two mile limit from their favorite golf course and want to be able to drive there from their home in a golf cart. I’ll bet that all of you can think of a secondary road where a golf cart traveled would guarantee an accident, especially in mountainous terrain that has blind curves in the roads. I ain’t kidding here either. Let’s recap. One of our legislators and his staff are working hard on a proposal that would make it illegal to use United States currency in the state and it is guaranteed to fail. We will not be able to buy a beer within a couple of days before and after Thanksgiving and Christmas because it would make the roads safer. A proposal is afoot that would allow a golf cart traveling at 10 MPH onto a road that could have a speed limit of 55 MPH. How can that be? I thought we were interested in road safety by taking away the sale of booze on the two most familiar and important holidays. Would it be logical for me to assume that a golfer in a golf cart traveling 10 MPH drinking a beer a week before Thanksgiving would be legal? I guess that is why I am not in the South Carolina legislature.

This date in history February 19

1777    On this date The United States Congress releases a promotion list to Major General and they were Thomas Mifflin, Andrew St. Clair, William Alexander, Adam Stephen and Benjamin Lincoln. Conspicuous in his absence was Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. It was Benedict Arnold that was instrumental in the United States successes at the Battles of Ticonderoga and Saratoga; he was also very skillful in saving all of his command in their retreat from Montreal. But on this particular promotion list he was absent and a few of his juniors were promoted ahead of him. Arnold immediately submitted his resignation much to the chagrin of General George Washington. In those days the US Congress felt it necessary to spread the General officer promotions equally among the states so as to keep some kind of equality. This meant that they did not promote due to merit and leadership, they promoted along political lines. I cannot think of worse criteria for promotion and neither could George Washington. Washington raised hell with Congress to no avail but he was able to talk Benedict Arnold out of his resignation but unbeknownst to Washington, the damage had been done. Arnold had his feelings hurt and to get back at the United States, he offered West Point, New York to the British for 20,000 pounds sterling. Had the British been able to take control of the armaments at West Point, they could have isolated New England from the rest of the country; a serious tactical situation would have arisen for the US. Fortunately, Arnold’s accomplice John Andre’ was captured with the details of the deal in his boot. When Arnold found out about the capture of Andre, he fled to an English warship and asked for asylum. He was accepted and spent the rest of the war fighting against his friends and compatriots as a British Major General. After the war he went to London where he died destitute in 1801. What an ignominious end to a great military leader that got his feeling hurt.

1923    Previously Egyptian explorer Howard Carter had discovered a previously untouched tomb of an ancient Pharaoh that he identified as King Tutankhamen. He contacted his benefactor the Englishman Lord Carnarvon and told him that he believed that he was close to opening the funeral crypt. Carnarvon told him to wait until he could get there for the event. After Carnarvon arrived, and on this date, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon open the funeral crypt that had lain untouched for 4,000 years. There they found a triple encased mummy with the last one containing the mummy in a solid gold plated casket. This discovery marks one of the greatest finds in the history of archaeology and indeed the history of the world. What was found inside the tomb are some of the most beautiful treasures ever found.

1847    Back in August of 1846 a wagon train of 86 people arrived at Fort Bridger, Wyoming from Springfield, Illinois headed for California. The unofficial leader of the wagon train was George Donner. For some reason the wagon train chose to go on the recently blazed train known as the Hastings Cutoff rather than the tried and true California Trail blazed by Jim Bridger. They believed the new trail was shorter and would save time. The trail was a bit shorter but the terrain was much rougher and cost them time instead. In October the wagon train was caught on top of the Sierra Nevadas and the snows came locking them in. It was on this date that a rescue party from California reached what was left of the survivors. We all know how they survived.

1894    Sixteen years before one of the meanest gunfighters on record is caught, tried and convicted of murder and was given life in a Texas prison. John Wesley Hardin killed his first man at the age of 15 and the trail of bodies continued from then on. Strangely, it was in a gunfight where the other man fired the first shot and missed and Hardin fired and did not miss but he was arrested for murder. Hardin escaped from prison and headed for Abilene where his friend Wild Bill Hickock was sheriff. Wild Bill accepted Hardin and allowed him to stay over for a few days. In the hotel room where he was staying, there was a loud snoring man in the next room. Hardin pulled out his trusty .44 and shot through the wall killing the noisemaker. Even Hardin knew that Wild Bill would not sit still for that and Hardin hit the road. He ended up on a passenger train stopped in Pensacola, Florida when a Texas Ranger named John Armstrong captured Hardin and took him back to Texas to do his prison time. That’s right folks, I said a Texas Ranger who had no authority in Florida who took Hardin back to justice. Anyway, Hardin goes to prison, studies law and indeed becomes a lawyer. On this date after sixteen years he was given a pardon and set up a law practice in a small town in Texas but that was too boring so he hit the road. He ended up in El Paso and was recognized by a relative of someone he had killed. The relative walked up behind Hardin standing at a bar and shot him in the back of the head point blank. The sheriff of El Paso did not even arrest the relative; they did not want Hardin’s type in town anyway.

1945    On this date the United States Navy/Marines begins Operation Detachment. This operation was to capture the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima. This island was needed to eliminate the Japanese from notifying mainland Japan of US air strikes coming from Guam. It was also needed for the returning bombers to have a place to land for fuel if needed and if they were damaged. The Japanese commander chosen to defend Iwo Jima was General Kuribayashi one of Japan’s best commanders and during the upcoming battle he proved it. Japan realized the importance of this island. He carved defenses both above and below the ground. He summoned the finest mining engineers in Japan to dig the underground emplacements and personally oversaw the construction of those above ground emplacements. I think everyone knows what dimension of the slaughter of human beings occurred after the US Marines landed. The Japanese were well lead, well spirited and well armed. Kuribayashi had prepared well and his defenses were formidable and exacted a terrible price from the US Marines. Even though the US Navy fighters controlled the skies over Iwo Jima and the Japanese had no answer for the thunderous and continuous naval bombardment, the final question was as to who had the strongest will, Kuribayashi’s army or the United States Marines. It was the Marines that prevailed virtually on will power alone. It helped a lot when the United States flag was raised on the tallest peak on the island, a dormant volcano name Mount Suribachi which was seen be all the Marines on the island and by the support ships at anchor. For some reason the Secretary of the Navy, James Forestall was aboard one of the ships at anchor and upon seeing the flag rising he said “This will ensure the existence of the United States Marines for the next 500 years.” A loud cheer went up when the flag was raised and a photo was taken of the raising that is to this day the symbol of the spirit of the US Marines. General Kuribayshi showed some class when he sent his last message to Tokyo read “Our munitions have been destroyed, we have not eaten nor drank for five days, but out spirit is good, and we will mount a final attack tonight. May Japan exist for a thousand years.” Then it was all over except for mopping up. This struggle went down in history as one of the most savage battles ever fought and is a milestone in the history of the United States Marine Corps.

Born today:

1924    One of my favorite movie stars Lee Marvin. He said “Ah stardom! You work hard and end up having a star on a sidewalk in Hollywood. You go by the next day and there is a pile of dog crap on it. That says it all, baby”. Lee was in the 4th Marine Division during the attack and subsequent slaughter on Saipan. He was wounded there and received the Purple Heart. Almost his entire platoon was killed during this meat grinder of a battle.

1939 US baseball player Jackie Moore. When asked if he knew about economist John Kenneth Galbraith he said “Yeah, I know him. He is a short guy with a moustache and played 3rd base for Pittsburg.” This will give you some idea about how small of a cocoon some people live in.

Died today:

1997    Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. He said “The United States brags about their political system but their President says one thing before he is elected, something else when he takes office, something else during mid-term and yet another when he leaves office.” Hey Deng, perhaps you are right, but all of us citizens know this scam and are not surprised by it. You, on the other hand, took office by literally marching through the blood and bone of your opponents.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow