Friday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

“Mental toughness is essential to any success.”

Vince Lombardi

There is a section of the Jimmy Buffett book I an reading where the main character is taken aboard a huge sailing vessel named the Lucretia as a deck hand for a week long trip from the Mexican coast to a windward island that has an inoperable lighthouse. After going to his cabin and changing clothes he came back on the main deck and said this: “The entire forward section of the ship was alive with gyrating bodies. It was a foam party without the foam, but something was very different. It was not a meaningless drunken beach orgy. This was the celebration of life, it had been done this way for hundreds of years when a ship was about to sail. It was about laughter and tears, goodbyes and good luck wishes to the sailors from the families they would be leaving behind. Cleopatra said 'You clean up pretty good, Cowboy...you have the dog watch so go get some sleep'”. Sounds like heaven to me.

I read that a South Carolina law was passed in 2010 declaring that all reports of sexual abuse or assault in and educational facility must be reported to the police. If my math is correct there was 163 reports of sexual abuse or assault at BJU and the cops were never notified. BJU claims that they were not familiar with such a law. All that believe that raise your hand...that's what I thought.

As of last October there was a 41 year old man and a 31 year old woman near Lexington, SC had a successful relationship...then the man moved to Cartersville, Ga. The woman did not like the long distance relationship and ended it by telling the man not to contact her any longer. The man then discovered via Facebook that the woman had found a new love which inflamed him. In the month of October the man sent over 30 e-mails and texts threatening the life of her and her new boyfriend. The Cartersville police arrested him and sent him to Lexington where he now resides in the local lockup with charges of stalking and threatening pending. All of y'all who think you are about to be unceremoniously released from a relationship should keep this in mind.

Recently a high school student and football player was caught on a security camera hugging one of his teachers who immediately pushed him away. The teacher complained that in addition to hugging her, the student pressed his lips on her neck. Due to the angle of the camera the kiss on the neck can not be confirmed. The student was suspended for one year for sexual harassment. This means that he will not graduate and probably will not get an athletic scholarship. All of this for a moment of bad judgment. In this case I believe the teacher. The film shows the teacher shoving him away with a look of disgust on her face. I suppose the punishment suits the crime in this case...I suppose. Oh by the way, this young man had been warned about this type behavior before...by the same teacher.

Some of you may watch the TV show “Duck Dynasty” know who Phil Robertson is. That bunch that has no problem telling anyone what they think including religious thoughts. Recently Phil made a statement that was indeed anti-gay. All hell was raised by the media because of this. Phil, as expected, offered no defense or excuse because he said that he didn't think he needed to...that he still believed in the 1^st Amendment. I personally would be considered a strict constructionist meaning I believe in the Constitution and the associated Bill of Rights as written and stand beside Phil in his right to say anything he wanted that did not pose a threat to anyone. I also stand beside anyone's right to live a lifestyle of their own choosing...the media be damned.

This Date in History December 19

1776 General George Washington and what is left of his army is camped on McKonkey’s farm across the Delaware River from Trenton, New Jersey. He had been kicked out of New York and New Jersey after losing New York City. Not only that, nearly 11,000 of his troops had deserted and went home to their families and the large majority of what was left of his army had their enlistments ending on December 31. On this date Thomas Paine published American Crisis. Included in this pamphlet were these immortal words:

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldiers and the sunshine patriots will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he who stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the victory.”

Washington and Paine knew the Continental Army was in serious trouble and something had to be done to resurrect a fighting spirit. Washington himself gathered his army around him and read Paine’s word to them. The words had the desired effect and the spirit of the army rose. But just to make sure, Washington planned an attack on Trenton on Christmas Day. He brought his army back across the Delaware River and attacked the Hessian (German mercenaries) encampment in Trenton. The hung-over Hessians were no match for the inflamed Continentals and resulted in a near annihilation of the Hessians. Then on January 2 Washington and his now fired up army met the British army led by General Cornwallis in Princeton, New Jersey and delivered a severe ass-kicking. These two victories and Paine’s words brought more and more recruits into the Continental army which saved us.

1998 On the is date the United States House of Representatives handed down a bill of Impeachment against Bill Clinton, the sitting President of the United States. This was only the second time that a Bill of Impeachment had been issued in the history of the United States. Clinton was convicted of lying to a Federal Court and the obstruction of Justice. This came as a result of a sexual liaison Clinton had with an unpaid intern in the White House named Monika Lewinsky. There is no question that Clinton had at least 11 encounters with Monika. After many of the encounters Monika called white house staffer Linda Tripp and told her in detail about her experiences with Slick Willie. Even with all of this, William Jefferson Clinton was able to complete his term as President of our United States.

1817 James Archer is born in Harford County, Maryland. He attended Princeton and Boston College before joining the US army and fought with distinction during the Mexican War and was indeed brevetted Colonel. After the beginning of the Civil War, Archer offered his services to Confederacy. He was assigned to The Army of Northern Virginia in John Bell Hood’s Texas Brigade. He fought with valor at Seven Pines and at the so-called Seven Days. Later on he was assigned to Harry Heth’s division in A.P Hill’s corps. It was Archer who led the attack on the center of US General John Buford’s dismounted cavalry on Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg. Archer’s attack was so effective and his penetration of the Union lines was so deep that his unit was cut off and captured. Archer himself was captured and on his way to the rear he was met with an old comrade in arms, US General Abner Doubleday. Doubleday saw Archer and said that he was glad to see him. Archer responded with “Well, I am not glad to see you, not by a damned sight.” Archer went to a prison camp for about 15 months and was exchanged. He went back to duty and was assigned duty in the trenches in and around Petersburg. The stay in the prison camp had weakened him and he finally died in the trenches in October of 1864. He was a recognized as a superior field commander by both sides. There is a plaque on McPherson’s Ridge at Gettysburg dedicated to General Archer’s division, I have been there. Every American should go there to feel the restlessness of the spirits lying in that field between McPherson’s Ridge and Cemetery Ridge. It would give you a deeper understanding of courage and dedication.

1978 On December 3 the police in Des Plaines, Illinois had received a complaint about child abuse against a man named John Wayne Gacy. They did not have enough evidence to arrest Gacy so they staked out his house. On this day, Gacy’s neighbors complained about a “funky” smell coming from Gacy’s house. The police obtained a warrant and entered the house and were met with an overwhelming stench of rotting flesh. Further investigations found several bodies buried in the crawlspace under the house. The police finally found that Gacy had been responsible for the murders of over 25 people, mostly adolescents, in several states. Gacy is recognized as one of the worst serial killers in United States history. This animal was sentenced to death but was able to appeal his case for 14 years. He eventually met his maker with needles in his arms. I can think of many more rewarding ways for this beast to depart this earth, don’t get me started.

Births and deaths:

1778 British educator Henry Brougham is born. He said “Education makes people easy to lead, hard to drive, easy to govern and impossible to enslave.”

1906 US writer H. Allen Smith is born. Upon tasting his first American beer he said “Put it back in the horse!”

1910 French writer Jean Genet is born. He said “To achieve harmony in bad taste is the epitome of elegance.”

Quotable quotes:

“When we talk to God, we are praying, when God talks to us we are schizophrenic.”

                                             Lily Tomlin

When asked about the virtues of the presidency, John F. Kennedy said “The pay is good and I can walk to work.”

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow