Monday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

"We are all captains of our own ships; if your ship sinks you go down with it.”

                                                           Winston Churchill

I saw J.J. Watt interviewed a few days ago. He is a monster of a man that is a defensive end for the Houston Texans. The interviewer eventually got around to all the bad news we are reading since the Ray Rice episode came to light. J. J. acknowledged that domestic violence is not to be tolerated but he also said something that I have been crowing about for years. He said that all we see in the media is bad news and scandal because it is this kind of news that sells air time, magazines and newspapers, but hundreds of players in all professional sports sponsor many, many charities and worthwhile endeavors that is never mentioned. All of us read about murder, rape, assault, robbery and many other crimes but it is rare that we read good news. It used to be that journalists like Walter Cronkite were considered to someone almost sanctified because we trusted then to tell us the WHOLE truth. In my humble opinion those days are over...it is a matter of reporting mostly, if not totally, the scandals and bad news because it is more profitable. I trust very little of the mass media because they obviously have an agenda or are in bed with the present political junta and slant the news accordingly. We all can see that to a lesser extent at the local level. OK, I am off my soap box.

By the way, the term “soapbox” came from England. There is a place called “Speakers Corner” in Hyde Park in London where people make speeches about a variety of things. In the past the person standing on the highest platform had the advantage over others and the park became cluttered with platforms of various heights and structural material . A law was passed that when making a speech in this park the platform could be no higher than 9 inches and had to be taken away after the speech. A wooden box used to transport one particular brand of soap was about 9 inches high and was in demand as a platform for the orators. It was the right dimension, strong and portable thus “Soapbox”.

Down in Litchfield Beach on the South Carolina coast the police watch a 49 year old woman taking photos of a 7 year old girl who had pulled down her pants and was bent over with her rear facing the photographer. They obtained the camera and recalled a series of similar pictures taken of the same girl. The photographer said that she was a professional and the little girl was a model. The photographer is in the joint.

Down in Mobile, Alabama a former attorney plead guilty to wire fraud. This jackass was a civil attorney and on one occasion he collected a check for over $70,000 from the sale of his client’s ex-husband’s house and put the money in his personal account, went up to Auburn and bought a diamond ring. On another occasion he settled a law suit for over $90,000 and put that in his personal account and never told his client of the settlement. He was dis-barred and will spend nearly 3 years in the joint. By the way, he spent most of the money by putting dope up his nose.

This Date in History September 22

1989 Irving Berlin died at the age of 101. What can be said that hasn’t been said already? He was a Russian immigrant and came to New York in 1893. His father died early and little Israel Balin (Irving Berlin) began trying to help his mother and his 7 siblings by doing a sidewalk entertainment show. He sang, danced, told jokes, etc. for whatever coins that were tossed his way. But later he changed his name to Irving Berlin and began writing song and plays and was soon recognized for the genius that he was. Just a few of the songs he gave us: God Bless America, Dancing Cheek to Cheek, Puttin’ on the Ritz, White Christmas, Blue Skies and many others. He was drafted during WWI and went uncomplainingly into the infantry. While in the army he wrote Oh How I hate to get up in the morning. He was a truly gifted individual.

1964 Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona is running for president against LBJ and says that if the US is not willing to go in and conquer North Vietnam it would be better if the US withdraws completely. He also recommended using low yield nuclear devices at all country borders so they would be impassable for years to come. He called LBJ a liar and said that LBJ is indeed committing the US to what is essentially a private war. LBJ and the Democrats rose up in unison and called Goldwater a bloodthirsty warmonger. Within weeks after Johnson won the election he ordered the 1^st and 5^th Marines among others into Nam and very soon there 80,000 American troops on Nam and the numbers were still climbing. Maybe LBJ was indeed lying. But I ain’t sure low yield nuclear devices are the answer either.

1862 A. Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation whereby all slaves in the states in rebellion would be freed. This essentially was a course reversal for the policy of the Lincoln Administration. The policy of the Administration at the outset of the war was that the states must remain united no matter what. After several military setbacks the Lincoln administration saw that they were losing the support of the people because of it, decided to use a moralistic basis for prosecuting the war and that be the freeing of the slaves rather than unity. The irony of all of this is that there were slave holding states not in rebellion such as Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and Missouri. What about them? Anyway, Lincoln had to have a basis for prosecuting the war other than unity. Unity as a basis wasn’t flying. The legislation banning slavery everywhere was enacted a couple of years later.

1995 Ted Turner has agreed to the buyout of Turner Broadcast System by Time Warner for a mere $7.5 Billion. 7.5 BILLION Y'ALL!!!! Oh my God, lawyers started coming out of the woodwork wanting a piece of this action including those from the Federal Trade Commission. The lawyers knew better than to screw directly with Ted because he was a notorious hard ass and would cuss you out in a heartbeat. After several years of haggling the number was cut to $6.5 Billion. I guess the bloodsucking lawyers split up the $1 Billion. Ted went to one of his ranches in Montana and hung out for a while. It is reported that Ted collectively owns enough land to equal the state of Rhode Island. You don’t screw with Ted.

1961 JFK brings the Peace Corps into existence. Originally thought to be used a weapon against Communism, it evolved into an agency to improve the education and well being of the less fortunate no matter who or where and that is what it is today.

1598 The famous poet and playwright Ben Jonson killed another man in a duel and this ain’t the first time. He killed another one in 1594 during an “affair of honor”. But a few months later his play “Every Man in His Humor” debuts and is an immediate success with William Shakespeare in the lead role. During this time, William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson were equally famous.

1554 The Spanish conquistador Coronado died never having achieved his dream of finding the Seven Cities of Gold full of precious gems as told in mythology. He was lead on an expedition to what was said to be the city but it turned out to be a small Zuni village of adobe huts. Another Indian came and said that his tribe has a city like he was looking for and off they went on yet another trek. They went through what is now Texas, Oklahoma and on into what is now Missouri. No golden cities were found. So Coronado returned to Mexico, Vera Cruz in particular. Even though he found no gold, Coronado had the sense to map the areas he went through and these maps proved to be very valuable to those that followed.

Born today:

1694 English statesman Lord Chesterfield. He said “I recommend that you take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.” There is another adage that says take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.

1791 English scientist Michael Faraday. When trying to explain the usefulness of electricity to Prime Minister Gladstone he said. “Why sir, it is likely that soon you will be able to tax it.” Hey Mike, you have no idea how accurate you were.

1927 Baseball manager Tommy Lasorda. When talking about his catcher Mike Scioscia and his speed he said “If he got into a foot race with his pregnant wife he would come in third.” That’s cold, Tommy.

1958 US rocker Joan Jett. She said “I use to stand in front of a mirror and pretend I was Janis Joplin”. Janis sang not with her voice but with her heart and soul.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow

I have a songwriter friend who penned this line in one of his songs “They warned me about the wild Texas rattlesnakes, they warned me about the wild Texas rivers, but they didn’t warn me about you.” That reminds me of a girl I met in Houston.