Daily history

Good morning,




Quote of the day:

“Sometimes I think that I am really indecisive, then other times I think that I am not."

                                          Al Campbell



Last week I told y’all about a 77 year old man over in Greer, South Carolina that was missing. Last Thursday this young man left his house aboard his 1994 Lincoln Town Car as was not seen since. He had the early stages of Alzheimers and had left his prescription drugs at home. This man was found this Tuesday in Atlanta (about 150 miles from Greer). He had driven into a Laundromat near I-85 and handed a hand written note to the attendant stating that he was lost. The attendant called the cops and he was taken to a hospital to be examined. No mention was made as to where he had spent the last 5 days and nights and I doubt that he will remember where he was. It frightens me somewhat that I may be susceptible to Alzheimers because my mother passed away with it at the age of 90. However, my father had a sharp mind right up until the last minute; he was 89 when he passed. We never know, do we?



Over in Tucson the University Medical Center has reported that Gabby Giffords is off a respirator and breathing on her own. Not only that, she gave the nurses a “thumbs up”. If she fully recovers it will be a miracle. By the way, the doctors removed a “window” of her skull to relieve the pressure. They said that they will put it back in place when the swelling recedes and is expected to stay that way. I wonder how they save a piece of a human’s skull for an extended period and it still remain viable for replacement. Present day medicine is mind-boggling.



This is the third day that the Trailways and Greyhound busses have been grounded in the southeast because of the weather. I wonder what the atmosphere and aroma is like in the bus terminal waiting rooms where the riders were stranded.



This is the fifth day I have been trapped in my house because of the weather. I went out to try and start my car and quickly changed my mind. There was about 7 inches of snow with about ½ of ice on top of that. When you took a step the top crust of ice went to the bottom and immediately froze. The same was true where cars had passed. It was solid ice and I could barely walk on it. I knew that if I fell I would not be able to get back up because of the lack of traction. I have a bad hip anyway and I certainly do not want to make it worse. So I said to hell with it and came back in. It is supposed to get down to the high teens or low twenties for the next two nights so things will not get any better anytime soon. This is one of the times I wish I had a dog, especially a Lhasa Apso. If worse come to worse I understand they are very tasty…Just joking.



This date in history January 13



1776    The so-called Battle of Prudence Island happens on this day. Prudence Island is a barrier island off the coast of Rhode Island that had but one or two structures. It was primarily used as a pasture for sheep with the structure for the shepherds. The British troops had been eyeing the sheep across the waterway hungrily. One night the British decided to cross over to Prudence Island and make off with a couple of sheep, only the pretty ones of course. They rowed over and before they could get ashore they were met with musket fire from a fairly large detachment of militia led by Patriot Captain Thomas King and are turned back, The militia had learned of the planned sheep theft a day or two before and sitting there waiting for them in the dark. The militia just was not going to give up those lovely, sensual sheep.



1128    On this date Pope Honorius II names the Knights Templar, led by Frenchman Hughes de Payens, as the “army of God”. In the year 1118 the Knights was formed to protect the Christians that are on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They took their name from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In the beginning there were only 9 of them because of their very strict rules. They had to be of noble birth, take vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. By 1127 the grateful pilgrims had contributed considerable amounts of land and other valuables to the knights. Even though the knights had sworn a vow of poverty as individuals possession of lands by the organization was allowed and the Knights Templar became extremely wealthy. I’ll bet y’all can tell me what comes next. That’s right, in 1307 the Catholic Church led by Pope Clement V along with Philip IV of Spain lusted after these riches and they attacked the Knights Templar the only way they knew how and that was with religion. They dragged up the leader the Knights, Jacques DeMolay up on charges of heresy, sacrilege and Satanism. DeMolay denied these charges of course but with a little persuasion from the rack and hot irons, DeMolay acquiesced and was burned at the stake. That was pretty much the fate of the rest of the Knights. Their valuables and lands were given away to their closest rival, the Knights of Hospitaliers with a substantial chunk going to Phillip IV of Spain, Edward II of England and last but not least the Catholic Church. Later on the Catholic Church admitted wrong doing in this case and said that Pope Clement V was pressured by secular rulers to do what he did. Hey Clement V you jackass, what has the division of worldly possessions got to do with saving my soul? Thank God you have gone on to your reward. It was/is believed that the Knights Templar has possession of the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant and a piece of wood from the true cross that Jesus was crucified on. It is the possibility of these objects still being in existence that has made for today’s legends and made Dan Brown, the author of “The Da Vinci Code” a zillionaire.



1842    Early on this morning a British military doctor staggers into a British sentry post near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was the only survivor of a 16,000 British/Indian force that were attacked by extremely pissed off Afghani rebels at Khyber Pass. It seems that the ever Empirical England was attempting to expand their empire from India to include Afghanistan and blatantly interfered to the selection of the ruler of Afghanistan in that he was be a supportive of Great Britain. That 16,000 British/Indian Army was in Kabul to make sure of the transition but soon thereafter the pissed off Afghani warlords began gathering in Kabul and the British/Indian army had to choice but to withdraw. The combined warlords caught up with the British/Indian army at Khyber Pass and slaughtered them almost to a man. Only the doctor had escaped. This did not deter the British, however. They tried again and again were driven out but on the third try they were able make it stick. But not for long, the Afghanis love to fight; it is part and parcel of their makeup. The last total domination of that country was only when Alexander the Great passed through in the third century BC.



1958    Peter Manuel is arrested in a pub in Glasgow, Scotland. This maniac was born in America to British parents. He got an early start when he was arrested for burglary at the age of 12, then he moved up to assault at the age of 15 a little later he was convicted of sexual assault and did eight years of hard time. After getting out he resumed his life of crime by killing a mother, her two children and her sister during a burglary. A little later he broke into another house and killed the entire family. It is estimated that Peter Manuel had killed 15 people during his short life. They caught him by comparing bank notes that he had stolen form the family he had killed against the ones he used to buy beer in a Glasgow pub. He took the money from the father that had just been paid and the employer tracked the serial numbers of the bank notes used for salaries, shortly after Peter Manuel went to meet his maker wearing a hemp neck-tie. I don’t know what it is but sometime kids are just born with bad blood and insist on bad behavior in spite of the consequences.



I will tell ya’ll the brief history of a gang leader in the lower East side of New York. His gang did as most gangs; they raised money by selling drugs, extortion and occasional murder for hire. The leader’s name was “Yummy”. He got this name because he always had Oreo cookies close at hand. He was an uncompromising and insistent person that demanded complete loyalty among his soldiers. As was commonplace, there was a rival gang that Yummy and his boys had an ongoing turf war with, that frequently brought about large battles. During one of these battles, Yummy was captured by the rival gang, tortured for several days and then strangled. His body was thrown out in the middle of Harlem from a speeding car. Yummy was 12 years old.



1929    Nearly fifty years after his famous gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, Wyatt Earp dies peacefully in Los Angeles. A little while after the gunfight Wyatt’s Brother Virgil was ambushed riding along a trail and a shotgun blast took out his right arm permanently but he survived. A few days later Wyatt was playing billiards with his brother Morgan when a shot came through the window and hit Morgan in the head and he was dead before he hit the floor. Wyatt and Doc Holliday left Arizona headed to California. But on the way our they killed Frank Stillwell in a Tucson rail yard and Florendento Cruz out in the desert as revenge for the murder of Morgan. Wyatt knocked around the west an occasional bartender even up in Nome, Alaska and was a temporary movie consultant in his life when he passed. He was legend, ya’ll.



Born today:



1884    US entertainer Sophie Tucker. She said “From birth to 18 a girl need good parents, from 18 to 36 she needs good looks, from 36 to 55 she needs a good personality, from 55 on she needs good money, that’s why I am saving.” Sophie was known as “The last of the red-hot mamas.” I think we could give that title to Brittany Spears these days



Died today:



1929    US western legend Wyatt Earp. He said “Fast is fine, accuracy is everything.” Wyatt was familiar with firearms, to say the least.



1978    US politico Hubert Humphrey. “We should not allow the shortness of funds to prevent the cities from financing needed projects.” Hubert, shut the hell up.



Thanks for listen I can hardly wait until tomorrow.