Friday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

“I do not know why humanity is here, but I am pretty sure that is not in order for us to enjoy ourselves,”

                                        Ludwig Wittgenstein

                            Speak for yourself, Ludwig

After reading and re-reading many of my essays and biographies I have decided to give myself an award. I am without question the worst proof reader in the western hemisphere. I hope all of y'all get the gist of what I write about. The problem is that my mind is composing at a much faster pace than I can type. Not only that, I read much like a “speed reader”. I read in gulps rather than a word at a time. Woody Allen once said “I took a speed reading course and was able to read War and Peace in 4 hours...it had something to do with Russia.”

Unfortunately for the first time in about 15 years I will not be going to spend the month of April in Pensacola Beach. Years of living beyond my means have finally caught up with me. I may be able to make the month of October trip, however. I will just have to slow down my lifestyle, stay at home and not have any fun. All of you that believe that raise your hand...me neither.

This Date in History March 13

1733 Future Unitarian preacher Joseph Priestly is born in Birstall, Yorkshire, England. Priestly became acquainted with Benjamin Franklin while he was in London trying to do something to avoid a war with England and Ben became a Unitarian as a result even though he did not join Priestley’s Church. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson also were followers of Priestley and were indeed members of Unitarian Churches. John Adams frequently attended services in Priestley’s Church in Philadelphia. A Unitarian is one that believes in God but does not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus was a great speaker of God but was not divine. Priestley had a church in London and somehow preached in favor of the American and French Revolutions and got away with it for a while anyway. On the 2^nd anniversary of Bastille Day, a crowd in London attacked and burned Priestley’s house, a well equipped laboratory and his Unitarian Church. After this, Priestley had not choice but to get the hell out of Dodge and he immigrated to the United States in 1794. He settled in Northumberland, Pennsylvania and established the 1^st Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. He lived in Northumberland until his passing in 1804. Even though Priestly taught an unpopular religion, he was sincere in his belief and was a dedicated lover of freedom.

1989 On this date one of the most evil men in North America is brought to justice. It is a Mexican named Adolpho de Jesus Constanzo. This jackass owned a ranch named Rancho Santa Elena. He believed in black magic and tortured his victims to the point of death and were mostly prostitutes which made their discovery most unlikely. If his intended victims did not beg for their life, he would kill them immediately and send his henchmen out to find some that would. His mistake was capturing an American named Mark Kilroy after he staggered out a bar in Matamoras. He ended up killing Kilroy and soon the American law enforcement officials were combing the countryside looking for Kilroy. Constanzo convinced one of his henchmen that if he uttered the right words he would be invisible to the police. This dumb-ass left town and drove straight to the ranch knowing that the police in hot pursuit could not see him. Anyway when the police arrive Constanzo is not home but the police “convince” those that are there to tell them where he is. He is in Mexico City and the police surround the apartment he is in. Constanzo wants to fight and opens fire with several Uzis. The police respond in kind and Constanzo knows the jig is up and convinces his henchman named El Duby to shoot and kill him rather than be captured. El Duby obliged and Constanzo died in a hailstorm of Uzi gunfire from good old El Duby. It is estimated that Constanzo was responsible for the torture and death of over 20 but the number could have been as many as 100. With monsters like this, we need to re-think the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause in the Bill of Rights. We of English, Irish and Scottish ancestry can be very inventive when it comes to that, our history is full of it.

1996 On this date a man walked into a kindergarten in Dunblane, Scotland an opens fire killing 16 toddlers and one of their teachers and wounding 12 others before turning the gun on him. This animal was at one time a leader of Boy Scouts but was kicked out for misconduct with the boys. So he decided to take it out on the littlest of children. Can anyone imagine how terrified those little kids were? It is too bad that he committed suicide, again my thought wander to the basement of the Tower Of London with the Iron maiden, the rack, the pear, thumb screws, a variety of iron rods in various shapes heated to a fiery red, disemboweling tools, a 1,500 pound shire horse tied to each limb with someone beating the hell out of all four, etc. I believe if we still had these instruments the incidence of crime would plummet precipitously. But we would not be civilized, now would we?

1836 Just eleven days after the disaster at the Alamo Sam Houston heard that the Mexicans are on their way to Gonzalez, Texas and Sam doesn’t have anything to stop him. The troops that he does have are barely trained if at all. So Sam keeps just out of Mexican chief Santa Anna’s reach while he trains his troops to a fine edge. The troops know that the men at the Alamo were annihilated and want their revenge but Sam knows they re not ready so he stays out of Santa Anna’s way. Finally, Sam feels that his men are ready and turns to face Santa Anna. Sam has 756 troops to more than 2000 Mexicans. Sam trapped the Mexicans between Buffalo Creek and San Jacinto Creek and launched a surprise attack. The befuddled Mexicans ran away in every direction but most of them get caught in the waist deep water of San Jacinto Creek and are massacred by the wild-eyed Texans and other Patriots screaming “Remember the Alamo”. Revenge is sweet, y'all.

Born today:

1950 US actor William Macy. He said “You don’t become an actor because you had a good childhood.” One of my favorite actors said the same thing that being Gene Hackman

Died today:

1938 US attorney Clarence Darrow. He said “I am an agnostic. I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of.” Darrow was a spooky guy, y'all.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow